Stewart Lee

 In the book you say how easy it was to manipulate your audience to boo Ben Elton “and yet we still wonder how Hitler succeeded”. What's the gap between stand-up and tyrant?

    One of the things that I don't like about stadium comedy shows is that they seem like rallies. I feel uncomfortable with anything where everyone agrees with what's happening; it makes me feel like something's not right. The purpose of those mass events is to get everyone facing the same way, whereas I like to divide opinion in the room. I find it really interesting to have people reacting in different ways at the same time, but that's the opposite of what you're supposed to do in stand-up.

    The problem I have, and it's a luxurious one to have, is that now more of the people that come and see me know what they're coming to, so it's harder to contrive a situation whereby the room is divided. Luckily, I've had so many good reviews for this tour in the mainstream press that a lot of people who won't really like me are coming by mistake, which makes for a more interesting night.

    Adding an interval has been interesting. What normally happens is that the first half is a struggle and there are real pockets of resistance. But then they all go and have a chat at half time and when they come back in, they've decided that I must know what I'm doing and enjoy it.

    I enjoy the feeling of panic in the room and there not being a uniform reaction to a thing. It's in a lot of things that I like. You know the band, The Fall? When I'm watching them, I often feel that I hate them, and then something will happen and I think it's brilliant. I can go in a second from thinking it's interminable to absolutely captivating. Same with a lot of free jazz: it's irritating and then it's sublime, stupid and then brilliant. And a lot of old folk music can seem cloyingly sentimental, but then suddenly really get to you.

    I hate being led by the hand. Like in Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong, for example. When he falls off the building at the end, this sentimental music accompanies it, telling you that the death of King Kong is sad. In the original film, there's no manipulative music. And I remember, as a child, as all audiences watching that film must have done, being surprised by feeling sympathetic towards the ape. But now we're not allowed to decide for ourselves what we think. Everything is lit or underscored by music or framed in such a way as to tell you what you're supposed to think.

    I like to unpick all that. When I say things on stage, it's not always clear if it's a joke or if I'm serious. I like the idea that you're offering things up for their consideration, and then it's up to them what they make of it.

Fuente: http://www.mustardweb.org/stewartlee/