Live Again

Jack Dee is the undisputed king of the miserable English shrug, and in this 104-minute set, he brings his finely tuned irritation to the Hammersmith Apollo in London. Recorded in 2005 at the peak of his television fame, just as he was hosting the early series of Live at the Apollo, he performs on a stage carrying that same glowing, theatrical sign.

The comedy relies on Dee’s gift for blowing everyday inconveniences up into full-scale grievances. Rather than tackling high-concept themes, he focuses his irritation on target-rich, mundane subjects: cold callers, DIY stores, the design of mobile phones, and the profound regret of making a terrible purchase while drunk. It is classic, observational grumpiness delivered with a face that looks like it has never once enjoyed a sunny day.

What elevates the performance is a lengthy, interactive encore. Dee opens up a text-message inbox set up for the crowd, reading out a series of insults and bizarre questions sent from the seats during the show. It gives a rare glimpse of the deadpan comic breaking character, pocketing his favorite texts, and dealing with a rowdy 74-year-old in the audience with spontaneous, dry wit.