Stewart Lee

Stewart Lee review

Tricksy gags about liberals, rightwingers and 'the Islams'. The stand-up's two-part set is, as ever, a rarefied viewing experience. You can take nothing at face value as he plays cat and mouse with the audience.

Is success a curse for stand-ups?

Tim Minchin and Stewart Lee have both observed that fame and acclaim create dilemmas for comedians, who habitually punch upwards. But a comfortable life needn't blunt dissent and satire.

Stewart Lee interview

'Whether you think they're right or wrong, UKIP is the funniest party at the moment'

Stewart Lee discusses the evolution of Comedy Vehicle

'When I look at the first series, it feels like a different person; the character has changed by circumstances and ageing'

Stewart Lee: liberal comedy cabal will crush the Ukips

Nigel Farage and the comedian Andrew Lawrence have accused a 'politically correct comedy clique' of targeting Ukip and favouring talentless women and 'ethnics'. The gloves are off, says founding member Stewart Lee.

Stewart Lee: The Clangers are truly British

Our panicked political rulers struggle for a definition of Britishness. Look to Bagpuss and The Clangers, says comedian Stewart Lee...

Bridget Christie - The Lowry, Salford

The rant as a comic device has been around for some years. Lenny Bruce, in his decline, rambled on about legal procedures and censorship. Ben Elton rabbitted on about a little bit of politics and Stewart Lee has pushed the technique towards the surreal by banging on about topics too trivial to even mention. Now Bridget Christie is ranting on the subject of feminism.

This new series sees the team take to the US seeking some fresh satirical meat. Dale Maily salutes the NRA's quest to put guns in youthful hands, political poltroon James seeks a special relationship with Sarah Palin, while his coalition cohort cosies up to Bill Clinton. Back home, there's an addition to the Saatchi gallery in London and a look at Nando's chickening out of tax obligations. To paraphrase Stewart Lee, you might not laugh much but you'll agree the hell out of it.

Review: Daniel Kitson, Stewart Lee & more

It is hard to believe but there have been mutterings of a Daniel Kitson backlash. His latest theatre piece, Analog.Ue was not greeted by the usual ecstatic reviews. Maybe - though I fully expect he would deny it - that is why he has been getting back to his first love of stand-up recently, compering a number of benefits with a few more in the pipeline. This really is what he does best. As he jokily boasted onstage at the Palace Theatre last night, he is, after all, the finest comedian of his generation.

Greenwich Comedy Festival, National Maritime Museum

The Greenwich Comedy Festival opened with an amusingly offensive set from Stewart Lee and Josie Long delivered a poetically pithy excerpt from her recent show about heartbreak.