Stewart Lee playing the room as it's dealt

[@88Switches]

He comes up with a half-decent joke but deliberately tells it in a way that won't get laughs, then makes you laugh at something totally inappropriate and blames you for the routine failing to go well. His manipulation of the audience is masterful!

[@oliverbrain4790]

I love the break to conversation in comedy vehicle when Armando explains that he operates all the levers that could make someone laugh EXCEPT for actually saying something funny. So spot on.

[@Rachel-tr8mg]

The Hitchcock of stand up. Only ever let's you go where he wants you to then slams you in the face with so much force. Nobody does it like this.

[@MrAdey72]

Thanks for the explanation 😂

[@mattford1593]

Saw him do this routine in Liverpool. He is so convincing. When you're right there in the room you almost start to believe it. Brilliant.

[@georgejohnsmith]

Is it from a live show? I thought it was from the Comedy Vehicle series (S4E6). Which kind of hurt my sense of causality because that episode aired in 2009, while Robin Williams died in 2014.

[@georgejohnsmith]

Oh, sorry for bothering you, I googled it again, turns out it was last year. :-)

[@mattford1593]

georgejohnsmith Yeah, I guess this was during the recordings for the last Comedy Vehicle series. I saw him doing this in 2015 and he was basically road testing the material for the series.

[@georgejohnsmith]

He is getting better every year. Not only the content but his acting as well.

[@durrutti]

georgejohnsmith Nah, he is not a good actor. But its funny anyway. ;)

[@justinleslie1]

“I walk on to the stage…through a forest of ghosts”. Something about that line is just so perfect, so self-pitying, just enough to keep it going. Beautiful.

[@chadderton]

They whisper to me...

[@hawk2million]

It's the accusatory "I look through them..... and I see you." bit that gets me.

[@Tormented22]

That was a beautiful line but I laugh more at the part later on where he cries out, "This is being filmed!" 😂

[@turbomunch]

I remember my first beer.

[@eyebrowman1]

Just 'forest of ghosts ' is lovely.

[@An_Arbitrary_Miscellany]

He just gave it to them straight; like a pear cider, that's made from 100% pears.

[@dragonpunch9459]

😂

[@szndm]

Now I want 100% pear cider.

[@tjpj1919]

Pear

[@bensmith9253]

Yes! If you get this you're a true fan.

[@pov_music]

THAT IS STOLEN FROM A DEAD MAN'S HEART

[@DanGolag]

"You as good as murdered Robin Williams." OMFG. Stewart Lee never disappoints.

[@0The_Farlander0]

That part fucking killed me.

[@dontpanic1812]

@@neilpattison130 I'm still partial to Jimmy Carr's joke about mosquitoes and AIDS in Africa, but yes, this specific line would likely have Robin Williams himself laughing at its powerful rawness and subversiveness. Glorious.

[@martinmarriott1819]

Great stuff. And, really, if the 'you' he says is society itself, ie all of us, then he is telling his truth. Because it is always society which kills the clown.

[@LuDux]

@@martinmarriott1819 A clown is terrible thing to waste

[@hpebackwards]

It's a permissible joke because you know Robin would be in tears if he could hear it. He knows that and he knows we know that. Well played.

[@irfanmyg]

I don't think I've ever referred to a stand up routine as a masterpiece or beautiful, but this is genuinely both of those things.

[@samcad-ho3ze]

irfan. Plus his delivery...it’s fucking perfection.

[@jameskenyon5429]

That's because you are a pig and you are trying to understand humans.

[@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549]

piggypigpig I’m glad you didn’t like it, Stewart lee isn’t for you. His whole act is there to remind the liberal elite how much better we are than everyone one else.

[@Brownie-ms6sv]

@@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549, excellent reply, I think even Stu himself would like your comment.

[@-The-Darkside]

Clearly never saw Carlin

[@ClarkyGuitar]

How he manages to not laugh during some of those quiet bits I'll never know. Genius!

[@ichabaudcraine2923]

I know right! He must be a legend at delaying orgasm.

[@zaitesushion]

as if I needed another reason to want to shag Stewart Lee

[@samcad-ho3ze]

zaitesushion same

[@ulalaFrugilega]

@King Brilliant that's what I thought. For, at some moments, you think he's surely acting, but what if he isn't? What if he is truly just acting out. I was wondering why the ppl where laughing, but it did seem to placate him somewhat ;O)

[@turtleneckless]

The micros are still there but yh i agree

[@arsenelupin123]

This is fucking art. So much control, so much understanding of the crowd. Surreal

[@rooty]

I love that stewart can craft a joke so precisely that he can actually manipulate the number of people in the audience who will laugh at it in order to set up an entire routine.

[@haruyasumi616]

if it didn't get so poetic and complex later, you'd never believe it was deliberate.

[@fang_xianfu]

He does also just lie about the reaction sometimes. You can't really tell how many people are laughing when you're in the audience but you can see on video. Sometimes he'll just act like a joke got a bad reaction even though most people laughed, or act like the whole room laughed when it was a minority. Not saying he's not immensely skilled but it's all part of the routine :)

[@robrob9250]

It's a shame Morrissey has been reduced to this, he was a great artist. And he's really let himself go

[@Jojo-uc9or]

These days if you say you're Morrissey you'll be put in jail.

[@ashermiller10]

@@Jojo-uc9or good

[@andysmith8890]

@@Jojo-uc9or what, actually put in jail??

[@GreatGreenGaming]

@@andysmith8890 yeah, these days if you say you’re morrissey you’ll be arrested and thrown in jail

[@japhy4966]

@@GreatGreenGaming When did this come in?

[@geeblanco]

"they're just in the clothes that they wore when I knew them" - He absolutely nailed the entire room to the floor with that line, and then let them back up with "Join us!" Tremendous.

[@tadghgibson4523]

Pull me apart like soft bread

[@wardygrub]

@@tadghgibson4523 punch me in the ........... tits.

[@gnomeflight]

@@wardygrub bludgeon my face in

[@Billbobr]

@@tadghgibson4523 put me to sleep with your kind boots mr fancy man

[@newyoupersonaldevelopment3497]

The coroner said ‘any sane audience should have seen he was obviously going to go postal at any time … and got out before it was too late’

[@RICHARDGRANNON]

He so perfectly embodies the spirit of the depressed English teacher who explodes in impotent rage when trying to be funny and the class doesn’t laugh. The elf defeat, frustration and despair then channelled into the faces of bewildered 14 year olds too young to understand the burden of a pile of murdered dreams carried into middle aged meaninglessness. Who knew Misplaced rage could be so tragic and so hilarious at the same time? So human. This is pure art.

[@RICHARDGRANNON]

*self defeat , the Elves remain an undefeated ancient and binding force for peace.

[@KnjazNazrath]

​@@RICHARDGRANNON Peace through superior goblin slaying. The undertones are allegedly overtones. Personally, I like two-tone, but I'm not not sure what the correct term for that musical style is now and I can't mention "Ghost Town" on a video like this. Too many asides and implications. I should leave before people think I'm impersonating a spriggan.

[@FightingTorque411]

@@IncredibleGoliath From OP's misspelling of "self" in his first comment, which he then jokes about himself.

[@SpookyLuvCookie]

quite

[@deanwright7611]

I was a teacher once and I can confirm I often wished I was dead. On occasion I even said that. The kids said they wished I was dead too. Quite cathartic really :). Happy days.

[@rigsby1454]

Stewart lee is a master at deconstructing his routine. It's pure brilliance

[@alexdeville1248]

I am a grief counselor and that shit was therapy.

[@haydosmegins]

I saw him do this n Edinburgh 2yrs ago, it was something special to experience in person. Fukn genius Stewart.

[@24magiccarrot]

Was this before or after he'd let himself go?

[@0The_Farlander0]

Just after halfway through this when he's talking about ghosts and you see him crack a slight smile but keep it together, I love seeing people enjoying their own work.

[@paulconnelly4050]

I’ve watched Stewart Lee since his Fist of Fun days. He has matured into one of the best comics around today. Intelligent, thought provoking but utterly hilarious. Him, Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci.

[@Eatcrow]

Is his wokeness part of the comedy routine? Sometimes it’s so absurd I wonder ?..

[@TheActualCathal]

The ambition of writing this, knowing that has ten straight minutes of rambling about suicide, and he has to work the audience up to being in on the joke, and keeping them there. For ten goddamn minutes with gutpunches instead of punchlines.

[@baguasrr]

And the stumbling microphone stand dance. His trust in our sense of fun

[@guiseppeperceval4930]

That's not what I took from it. I'm glad that "we" killed those comedians for that bit. It was hilarious.

[@3212010]

“I can write jokes... but I choose not to”

[@pamdemonia]

@Random Scottish Bloke exactly

[@darylcatpiss]

I love the fact that most of his shows now are him berating his audiences

[@LoveProWrestling]

A magnificent Rockstar of comedy. Dragging the joke around the room and shaking it in peoples faces.

[@30071997kario]

Stewart Lee is the only comedian that makes ask myself why am I even laughing.

[@JoeCorneli]

Funny innit

[@zibberebbiz]

Lol yeah I'm like hahaha Robin Williams's suicide lmao

[@Bobcat937]

Stewart Lee, Mitch Hedberg, Doug Stanhope, Richard Jeni. That's a fucking good line up.

[@joebrokenstrang7537]

BobCat Your name is bobcat, so we can exhume the two of 'em.

[@andym28]

Great taste

[@loejewis]

Of all the bits I've seen Stewart Lee do live, this is the one that made the biggest impression. So good.

[@DistrictWitch]

carpet remnant world is the ultimate imo

[@ottconsulting7]

I never really knew Stewart Lee and had no opinion until this series. Probably the best English standup, so clever, brave, innovative and laugh out loud funny. The way he leads his audience around a topic is masterful.

[@Calico_Crow]

I have never heard any standup from this guy but his ability to remain stonefaced and evoke tenative uneasiness in a crowd is something I've only ever seen in videos of Andy Kaufman. So fuckin good

[@craiglittle1437]

He's been outstanding for 25 years now. Are you a fan 2 yrs on?

[@jontallon73]

Funny I was thinking Kaufman all through this :-) btw he's leaving it a bloody long time to come back

[@ackerjawaka4742]

Watch 41st best comedian ever, pure class

[@frankshailes3205]

Beautiful combination of pathos and truth... with fun. The alchemical mixture.

[@jeannettestreet5521]

Seen him live at The Brewhouse Taunton and he got angry and dropped the mike. It was so realistic, I believed it. He's an amazing actor as well as innovative comedian. He has the audience ranging from hysteria to stunned silence. He is unafraid of saying things over and over again, as part of the routine. He went crazy about a Nero's Loyalty card and it was hysterical.

[@flamingspinach]

That bit about the Nero's loyalty card is filmed on his DVD "If You Prefer a Milder Comedian Please Ask For One", btw.

[@robcairns5382]

Think this might be the most masterful piece of stand-up I've ever seen. Genuinely beautiful stuff in a weird perverse kind of way

[@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549]

The audience had let themselves go

[@timothydraper6626]

It's 'jazz comedy', comedy deconstructed and skewed, and still comedy.

[@DistrictWitch]

@@timothydraper6626 yeah it's annoying that most write it off, not understanding his 'on stage persona' is all about acting like a dick in various inventive ways - people often believe the persona, which is funny

[@StewartyMac]

This is comedy genius at its finest, one of my favourite routines of his.

[@mikeschneider1624]

This is so great and impressive and timeless and next level before there was a next level.

[@jmichaelmatkin]

Watching as he goes full John Cleese at the end is absolutely spectacular! Genius at work.

[@ketchup5344]

Love him. Met him twice. Wasnt dissapointed, he cracked me up. Unique comedian if ever there was one.

[@StephenUren-qb6ff]

What a fantastic routine, I actually felt ashamed to laugh out loud......but I still laughed! Brilliant as usual!

[@styot]

Dam, he's actually an amazing actor!

[@ophiolatreia93]

Heaven knows he's let himself go now

[@tmurphy07]

excellent

[@Jearbearjenkins]

@@tmurphy07 so this is where you get all of your autistic rants from? Watching british comedians. Must be hard being that gay

[@andrewtregoning]

@@Jearbearjenkins haha wtf?

[@CraigKeidel]

Hey isn't this that guy from the B-52s?

[@CraigKeidel]

Ah shit it's UB40, oops

[@TheAuraOfItAll]

"i'll just finish this bit..." *smacks lips, stares into the void for thirty good seconds* the maltese flyers...

[@Benzyl]

The Malteasers?

[@JoelJoel321]

Omg shout out to Mitch Hedberg. A genius so tragically lost on the cusp of a huge career.

[@SomeBF]

I used to miss Mitch Hedberg..I still do but I used to too!

[@JoelJoel321]

@@SomeBF Brilliant 👏

[@kevinm2832]

@@SomeBF perfect. ❤️

[@rmainman3012]

Proper genius this guy, one of my favourites.

[@colinedward828]

His control and pacing and patience is unreal.

[@24magiccarrot]

I thought his control, pacing and patience had let itself go.

[@ukporkpie7829]

So many layers of comedy.... one massive pear....!!!

[@LuDux]

one massive onion

[@tubey84]

Unbelievably good. A unique talent. Well, he was until he let himself go.

[@mitchell7842]

I don’t understand why I like this bloke for the life of me ? But this genius ffs

[@paulmorton3259]

Breaks all the rules and delivers a unique routine. Mesmerising to watch

[@ERRATICCHEESE2]

This some good meta, meta comedy.

[@epictetus9221]

Exactly

[@seanys]

This is brilliant. Such an amazing self examination of the nature of comedy, and hilarious.

[@markmoz]

Along with Doug Stanhope, Stewart has the best delivery in comedy.

[@kildogery]

I'm lucky to have seen them both live. For sure the best in the biz right now. Only one who comes close is Bill Burr. Everyone else is a disappointment.

[@DistrictWitch]

@@kildogery bill burr doesn't come close to Lee imo - he just does good yet standard observational stuff that sometimes leans into mild misogyny/racism etc etc at his worst.

[@lemonjuice3551]

This is beyond comedy - it's art.

[@algi1]

Brilliantly written and executed.

[@Doctor_Kissworthy]

Absolutely gobsmacked. Wish I'd been there...

[@theyank9036]

This is just brilliant. Haven't heard of this guy before. But he's amazing. A total original.

[@elena16350]

The Yank , watch more of this series,it’s well worth it. Stuart is just brilliant.

[@Steaminlidz]

I do envy you being able to go and find a wealth of other Stewart Lee material. He’s a treasure.

[@paulmurgatroyd6372]

No idea how Stu manages to keep a straight face during these bits.

[@Telukin]

He's actually an amazing actor. Wow, what a powerful routine.

[@nathan87]

I mean he only has one character lol

[@phlarrdboi]

oh my i have never seen anything like this i'm blown away

[@kennycharlton7891]

this is THEE video that got me into stewart lee, changed my whole approach to crowd control and approach to ideas in my songwriting and stage banter when i'm playing shows.

[@pauloconnor5850]

George Carling and Stewart Lee, two comedians i turn to for genuine intellectual entertainment. Two masters of the craft!

[@sirfeckalot]

I think Carlin once described himself as a writer first and a comedian second and I imagine Stewart would feel similarly in terms of how they approach writing stand up

[@guitardweep13]

I prefer Mitch Carlsberg.

[@paulkerrigan9857]

This man is a genius. So good at portraying the emotions he wants incredibly sincerely! He does this by actually remembering true events from his life that provoked such emotions, so that they've an element of truth to them. Very clever.

[@Theinsidetrader]

Great observation.

[@thephoenixsystem6765]

Have you seen... TV? 😅

[@garwoc216]

Events of his life, for example?

[@biohayzer]

He really is a master of this kind of setup...just brilliant!🤣

[@jerinchacko]

Magnificent venue and great photography

[@liamr194]

I've never seen a comedian who convinced me they hated me before. And yet, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience

[@jamesbutler6253]

A comedy masterclass. What a genius.

[@philroberts3212]

Genius! Master of comedy.

[@danrkelly]

Saw him in '93. It was excrutiating, he was dealing with a heckler, we simply weren't ready for him, a room full of 18 year olds, I was just too young. Now I understand.

[@danfm200]

And you were one of them, basking in the group think and so, so proud of yourselves. But now you're older and wiser and can look on and laugh knowingly. You are un-ironically one of those Lee refers to as applauding themselves and others in the audience, look at you all, never at any moment stopping thinking about yourself and how the jokes can refer to you in some way. "Me". Here we all are. Amazing.

[@danrkelly]

@@danfm200 You're easily a clever as the man himself.

[@altcoinbob7939]

This is brilliant, please, more!

[@peteryoungpeteryoung965]

First and foremost Lee is a fantastic actor.

[@roberth1322]

Quite possibly the best standup ever recorded.

[@TheRealPaulCaplin]

Genius. No other word for it.

[@SkitHertz]

Thanks KZbin recommendations for reminding me that Stewart Lee exists

[@justinleslie1]

There’s something almost Basil Fawlty when he shouts “You should’ve been concentrating like that from the moment you walked in!”

[@oscarmclennan762]

This is absolutely class.

[@fuzzy1237]

On a different level to anyone else. Top class

[@ahobimo732]

This is next-level performative craft. Andy Kaufman would have LOVED this if he'd been around to see it.

[@JohnRussellHodge_progtwit]

This, and Frank Skinner’s jealousy rant, are the “best of the best” of comedy routines. Simply outstanding, surgical awkwardness, aimed at the ‘’still-laughing” audience and at the absurd nature of the comedian’s lot in a post modern society where entertainment takes the place of responsibility within the essential dialectic of human life: to be or not to be, a graphical question forever pencilled in my leaden mind. If that is the question, then Lee has found a path to draw out the fundamental narrative contained within the double Helix of life, lines that can never be erased, ghosts that can never be rubbed out twice.

[@singleta]

He's not a comedian - he doesn't tell any jokes. Not like on Top Gear

[@An_Arbitrary_Miscellany]

He's not even a real hamster.

[@kidcharlemagne3044]

As a huge Top Gear fan, his Top Gear bit is genuinely hilarious.

[@planetyes]

Quite the compliment.

[@joankelly3690]

The Top Gear couch has let itself go.

[@vivavaldez87]

I like it when he does a broad one liner like Jimmy Carr might do, then follows it up with the real punchline - looking down the camera and saying "see, I CAN do jokes, I just choose not to".

[@nobatime]

This is brilliant! At one point he goes Basil Faulty Towers on the crowd. So funny!

[@ParlanceOpus]

His greatest bit ever. Magic.

[@horrorcocktail]

Watching this, I wanna enter the stage and give him a hug.

[@donaloregan7481]

The man is a comedy genius!!!

[@milolouis]

This has to be the best comedy set ever!

[@TheKapeeteeleestPeeg]

...the part where he says ' you're clapping yourselves' ...genius! 🤣🤣🤣

[@rudetc]

I love the idea that he wrote two entire routines based off the audience reaction to one joke.

[@JimGardner]

Just beautiful.

[@banburylitho4068]

the best comedian working in the UK today, no question

[@Proxima256]

Stewart Lee is actually looking quite good

[@tiarnan76]

Its not Stewart Lee - its KD Lang, and shes let herself go to be quite honest

[@mynewcolour]

Your standards have let themselves go.

[@wj2429]

Stewart Lee letting himself go has let itself go.

[@Ukedc259]

He gets better and better as the years go by.

[@joshuataylor3550]

Like a fine pear cider made from 100% pears

[@lozinja]

Moses has let my people go.

[@Torahboy1]

lozinja Don’t tell us Tell-oh Phara-oh

[@ophiolatreia93]

😂😂

[@HGPTW]

"Join us, join us, join us ....." Lol moment!!

[@TheBloodsuger150]

Saw this routine live, it was incredible

[@MW-pm1kl]

The master. Read his book, the life and deaths of a stand-up comedian. It's incredible.

[@kc8181]

I listen to this at least once a year and it improves with age.

[@bojohnbonham]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@roel.vinckens]

Masterful. "There's a price to your indifference!" shouted to a television audience and the cold dead eye of the cameras where the cynically numb are judging and preparing their two cents is so charged with meaning that it goes way beyond sarcasm. I truly miss his shows.

[@DavidRutten]

41st best standup comedian my foot!

[@thomasyates3078]

You can't take 41st best away from him, so I wouldn't even try.

[@MrCoyoteKite]

This is amazing. I love this guy.

[@jonathant9138]

Stewart Lee is the best stand up of today, even though I am not the audience he aims for!!!

[@mitchell7842]

Hahaha. I’m not the audience he aims for either ? I just for some reason couldn’t put it in to words !! He’s funny and I don’t like that I think that

[@RalphBrooker-gn9iv]

The incomparable Stewart Lee. League of his own. A counterpoint to those hamstrung comedians whose slogan is ‘Offense doesn’t matter’. Stewart Lee is riveting in his own right as he lays bare the anatomy of comedy.

[@flyingdutch9818]

Genius writing and delivery

[@ButTheCatCameBack]

This is a masterclass.

[@turtleilike]

A master at work

[@pdrg]

I love that Lee baits his audiences. It's gladatorial.

[@panchopuskas1]

He'd make a great actor...........

[@josephking5046]

He has truly mastered his craft. My favourite bit is when he just nods at the imaginary ghosts…amazing routine.

[@bonesf200]

Stu is up there with all the legends. Best British comedian after Big Yin. Still amazes me that the lad I saw on Sunday TV ,and hosting nights dedicated to Godzilla, years ago was an absolute genius in waiting.