Whether it’s an indication of its quality, popularity or the comedian’s lack of alternative employ, Stewart Lee’s latest touring show is still on the road almost two years after first opening, and this performance was the first of three at the Belgrade. He concedes that a few modifications have been made along the way, but clearly £6,000 Man-Wulf costumes have to earn their keep.

The giant suit was donned in the second half of this hugely ambitious show, the opening hour of which saw the self-proclaimed “metropolitan liberal elite” comic performing in typical superior-curmudgeon guise, acutely aware of his advancing age and diminishing cultural relevance and increasingly bitter at the success of less talented peers that peddle (and monetise) hate on Netflix specials, while simultaneously worried they could be fuelling the rise of populism in politics.

All the usual Lee tropes - contempt for (and despair at) the audience, explanation of jokes, flagging of callbacks - are present and correct, but I sensed an even greater edginess to his performance that may or may not have been due to building up for the two subsequent shows that are being filmed. Either way it was mostly vintage Lee, hilariously smart (“tragedy + time = Morrissey”) throughout and even finding time for some throwaway nods to Coventry (Lieutenant Pigeon one for the kids), although the audience interaction was desperately underwhelming. Which he mocked and milked of course.

The second half saw the woke comic’s transformation into the “tough-talking werewolf comedian from the dark forests of the subconscious who hates humanity”, decked out in the aforementioned outfit, as well as a minor appendage that became a major focus later in proceedings. Prior to that we got the Man-Wulf in all his glory, but the lampooning of cruel humour was as much miss as it was hit. Effectively an exaggerated American (complete with gruff Noo Yoik accent) amalgamation of the comics Lee had been berating, the horrific character spewed crude, hate-filled attempts at humour that by design were impossible to laugh with, but also mostly hard to laugh at.

The final act brought things full circle, as Lee, his costume part-abandoned, endeavoured to turn the tables on the hate comics by delivering liberal material using their aggressive techniques. It was hard work - for him and the audience - and while Lee admitted to getting a buzz from the power as well as the freedom of having no morals to worry about, he also knew it could never work. Which might be why he sought solace in slapstick (attempting to mount a swivel stool while wearing an oversized wolf suit), bawdy (the appendage returned), and even musical (a tune featuring Bob Dylan through the ages) comedy to round out a hugely original show that might not have delivered on every level, but certainly saw him send the Wulf packing.

Four stars

Reviewed by Steve Adams at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry on Thursday 8 October. Stewart Lee Vs The Man-Wulf continues at the venue until 10 October and plays Birmingham Hippodrome on 18 October. He also performs his Pea Green Boat show at the Belgrade’s B2 venue on 11 October and at the Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham, on 6 February 2027