Undeniably a short story. Lee plays with the two act structure inherent to comedy by stretching it too far, opening up a chasm between a set up and a punchline to smuggle a load of detritus. Here Lee performs a conversation between a couple on the day of Princess Diana’s death and the spectacular feat of this bit is how much I dislike it and how much I am longing for it to end. I think it’s the particular tone Lee strikes when he performs these two characters – there is something pathetic about them, and fundamentally devoid of humour. When the punchline comes it feels earned by everyone involved.
From Stewart Lee’s Stand-Up Comedian. Watch here
A Personal Anthology 