Standup comedian, writer and director Stewart Lee was born in Wellington, Shropshire, in 1968. His forthcoming standup show, Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf, will feature him sharing a stage with a tough-talking werewolf comedian from the dark forests of North America.
My morning ritual is …
I make a black coffee and start work at my laptop. I look at the news headlines and then listen to James O’Brien’s LBC radio show. I wish my morning ritual included some form of exercise, and I hope it will do soon.
I feel optimistic about …
… a change of government putting an end to corruption in British politics, and to a fairer distribution of wealth and services.
What makes me angry
The failure of the media to hold the far-right to account. Also, the inability of humanity collectively to take effective steps to mitigate against the worst possible effects of climate change.
If I wasn’t a comedian, I’d have liked to become …
… an archaeologist or a free jazz saxophonist. When I was on Orkney once, there was a massive dig going on with student volunteers at the Ness of Brodgar, and it looked idyllic. Until recently, my plan for when I’m 61 – when my daughter finishes school, is that I wanted to go to the University of the Highlands and Islands to do a two-year archaeology course and to try to become a guide to ancient sites in Orkney. But it was pointed out to me that this is sort of me giving up on life.