“In contrast with (my) generation, which had spent most of its time online learning to code so that it could add crude butterfly animations to the backgrounds of its weblogs, the generation immediately following had spent most of its time online making incredibly bigoted jokes in order to laugh at the idiots who were stupid enough to think that they meant it. Except that after a while they did mean it, and then somehow at the end of it they were white supremacists. Was this always how it happened?”
Patricia Lockwood, London Review of Books, Feb 2019

“This is the Trump way. Fire, fire, fire with the blunderbuss and don’t worry if a shot or two hits an innocent bystander. Keep moving forwards – even as your opponents return fire. Never seriously consider the criticisims, just loose off more shots. It is a strategy that has benefitted Britain’s Trump tribute act, Boris Johnson. As an opinion columnist on The Telegraph , Johnson specialised in offence, from writing in 2002 that the Queen loved the Commonwealth because “it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving picaninnies” to his recent descriptions of Muslim women in burqas “looking like letterboxes”. Such comments are deliberate provocation, pushing the boundaries of what it is permissible for a senior politician to say. IN AN ATTENTION ECONOMY, THEY ARE HARD CURRENCY. Any backlash can be portrayed as “political correctness gone mad” or “liberal Stalinism”. Even having to say sorry can be taken as proof that once again, the liberal totalitarians have triumphed. It is a game in which every path leads to victory. Yes, it is divisive, but for every voter who is repulsed, the calculation is, another is attracted.”
Helen Lewis, New Statesman, 7th June 2019

1) NEW SHOW 2019/20 – SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO

I’m doing a new stand-up show for the back end of 2019 and the first half of 2020. More national dates from Feb 2020 will be announced later in the year, but I am going to do less than last time, but with longer runs in bigger rooms to hit the same demand, sadly, as the length of the last run nearly killed me, as you can see from the BBC film of the show.
The initial London dates will be work in progress, with a free DVD of CONTENT PROVIDER for all ticket holders and fans of obsolete physical media. Tons of fun!
I will film this show/these shows in the Summer of 2020 for offloading to whatever content platforms are still viable at that stage in late capitalism’s technologically-driven cultural decline.

David Johnson & John Mackay in association with Debi Allen/Curtis Brown present
STEWART LEE – SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO.

Double-bill of two new 60-ish minute sets, back to back nightly from “the world’s greatest living stand-up” (Times).

Tornado questions a shipwrecked Stew’s position in the comedy marketplace after Netflix mistakenly lists his show as “reports of sharks falling from the skies are on the rise again. Nobody on the Eastern Seaboard is safe.” What is anything? Is it this?
And Snowflake questions our worth in a collapsing society which no longer shares the liberal values we have for so long been keen to be seen to espouse, in a fairy-tale landscape of winter wonder. Tons of fun!

SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO Work-in-Progress and DVD LAUNCH
Leicester Square Theatre, London.
A run of work-in-progress gigs to celebrate the DVD launch of his celebrated last live show CONTENT PROVIDER.
Each ticket will include a very special limited edition copy of the new DVD, exclusively available to bookers of this live show.
Stewart will be signing copies after the show.

Sept 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th – 7pm start
Oct 1st , 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Oct – – 8.45pm start
2 hrs including interval
£26.50 including DVD of Content Provider (RRP £19.95)

Stewart Lee – Snowflake/Tornado.
Leicester Square Theatre, London.

October – December 2019
Tues 29th October 8.45pm – Sat Dec 14th
No Mondays, No Sundays, & not Sat Nov 30th

January 2020
Thurs 2nd Jan 8.45pm – Sat 25th Jan
No Mondays, No Sundays, & not Jan 9th
8.45 pm Stewart on stage
2 hrs + interval

Tues, Weds, Thurs £27.50
Friday & Saturday £29.50

All shows are 14+ apparently. If you are under 14 you are too immature to enjoy my swearing and farts.

SEPTEMBER 2019

Tuesday 24th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 7pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 25th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 7pm – TICKETS
Thursday 26th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 7pm – TICKETS
Friday 27th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 7pm – TICKETS
Saturday 28th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 7pm – TICKETS

OCTOBER 2019

Tuesday 1st – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 2nd – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 3rd – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 4th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 5th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

OCTOBER 2019

Tuesday 29th – SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 30th – SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 31st – SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

NOVEMBER 2019

Friday 1st SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 2nd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 5th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 6th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 7th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 8th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 9th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 12th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 13th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 14th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 15th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 16th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 19th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 20th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 21st SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 22nd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 23rd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 26th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 27th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 28th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 29th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

DECEMBER 2019

Tuesday 3rd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 4th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 5th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 6th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 7th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 10th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 11th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 12th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 13th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 14th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

JANUARY 2020

Thursday 2nd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 3rd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 4th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 7th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 8th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 10th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 11th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 14th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 15th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 16th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 17th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 18th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 21st SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 22nd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 23rd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 24th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 25th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

“There’s no-one else to touch him” Mark Wareham, Mail On Sunday *****

“Lee remains one of the best stand-ups in the country” ***** Metro

“The world’s best living stand-up comedian” Dominic Maxwell, The Times

“He makes stand-up almost a moral pursuit, … that makes the usual (and more popular) stand-ups seem crude and obvious.” Alan Bennet, London Review Of Books.

“Proper, vicious prejudice – a self-proclaimed inhabitant of the moral high ground” Sarah Vine, Daily Mail

“A pot-bellied Bernard Manning for snowflakes” Tony Parsons, The Sun

“Woke, enlightened, professionally sensitive, BBC-approved comedian who can be guaranteed to dress to the left. The rancid tip of a cesspit.” – Tony Parsons, GQ

“If I could bring one extinct thing back to life it would be Stewart Lee’s sense of humour.” Frankie Boyle, The Guardian

“The opposite of what really good comedy should be” Toby Young, Radio 4

“Truly, he is the Oscar Wilde of our times” – Gary Bushell, The Daily Star

NB – I DID 5 MONTHS IN TOTAL AT LST OF CONTENT PROVIDER BETWEEN 2016-2018, AND THEN 4 ROYAL FEST HALLS AND THEY ALL SOLD OUT.
ONCE THESE DATES ARE DONE I AM NOT COMING BACK FOR MORE THIS TIME SO GET TICKETS IF YOU WANT THEM.

2) SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO 2020 TOUR

Currently confirmed / onsale as follows.

NOTE: This is not the complete list. More national dates are currently being added & confirmed & will be announced soon.

Not all dates are currently on sale.
As further dates are announced / go on sale, they will be listed on the Live Dates page of the website & via this newsletter as they come in.

January 2020

Tuesday 28th January 2020 – 7.30pm – Colosseum, Watford – TICKETS
Wednesday 29th January 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Nottingham TICKETS
Thursday 30th January 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Thursday 31st January 2019 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

February 2020

Saturday 1st February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Tuesday 4th February 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Wednesday 5th February 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Thursday 6th February 2020 – City Hall, Sheffield – TICKETS
Friday 7th February 2020 – City Hall, Sheffield – TICKETS
Wednesday 12th February 2020 – 8pm DeMontfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS
Thursday 13th February 2020 – ON SALE SOON – New Theatre Royal, Lincoln
Friday 14th February 2020 – ON SALE SOON – New Theatre, Peterborough
Saturday 15th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Opera House, Buxton – TICKETS
Tuesday 18th February 2020 – 7.30pm – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS
Wednesday 19th February 2020 – 7.30pm – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS
Thursday 20th February 2020 – 7.30pm – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS
Friday 21st February 2020 – 7.30pm – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS
Monday 24th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Tuesday 25th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Wednesday 26th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Thursday 27th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Friday 28th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Saturday 29th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

March 2020

Tuesday 3rd March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Festival Theatre, Malvern
Wednesday 4th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – St. David’s Hall, Cardiff
Friday 6th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Tuesday 10th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – The Hexagon, Reading
Wednesday 11th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – The Hexagon, Reading
Thursday 12th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Friday 13th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Tuesday 17th March 2020 – 7.30pm – ON SALE SOON – Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
Wednesday 18th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – De La Warr Pavillion , Bexhill On Sea
Thursday 19th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Friday 20th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Monday 23rd March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Playhouse, Leeds
Tuesday 24th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Playhouse, Leeds
Wednesday 25th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Playhouse, Leeds
Thursday 26th March 2020 – ON SALE SOON – King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Friday 27th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS
Saturday 28th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS

April 2020

Wednesday 29th April 2020 – 7.30pm – Lyric Theatre @ The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS
Thursday 30th April 2020 – 7.30pm – 7.30pm – Lyric Theatre @ The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS

May 2020

Friday 1st May 2020 – 7.30pm – Lyric Theatre @ The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS
Saturday 2nd May 2020 – 7.30pm – Lyric Theatre @ The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS
Sunday 3rd May 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Machynlleth (Comedy Festival)
Saturday 16th May 2020 ON SALE SOON – Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Sunday 17th May 2020 ON SALE SOON – Theatre Royal, Plymouth

3) SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO WORK IN PROGRESSES

I am doing a headline half-hour on bill with John Kearns and Rosie Jones and more at Bristol Comedy Garden, July 7th. https://www.bristolcomedygarden.co.uk/line-up/sunday-late/
I am also doing several more work in progress shows at the Bill Murray pub in Islington. The dates are;

Tuesday 9th July (9.30pm – 10.45pm)
Wednesday 10th July (8pm – 9.15pm)
Thursday 11th July (8pm – 9.15pm)
Tuesday 17th September (9.30pm – 10.30pm)
Wednesday 18th September (9.30pm – 10.30pm)
Thursday 19th September (8pm – 9.30pm)
Sunday 22nd September (7.00 – 10pm w/interval)

These are all sold out, but you might be able to get returns on their website.

4) EDINBURGH FRINGE

This was now all sold out but The Stand released their ticket allocations on June 11th – and there are some tickets left for the last few shows via The Stand – So if you missed out on tickets via Edfringe, or want to come, then…

THE SHOW IS A WORK IN PROGRESS BETWEEN THE 9th & 15th AUGUST (7.10pm) AT THE NEW TOWN THEATRE – CLICK HERE FOR EDINBURGH FRINGE TICKETS VIA THE STAND

5) CONTENT PROVIDER DVD

CONTENT PROVIDER has dropped off the BBC I-player.
I know they are allowed to put it on there three more times, but they do tend to need a nudge. Perhaps they will show it again. Who knows?
All four series of COMEDY VEHICLE are still up on there anyway. See how the world has changed for the worse in a decade. How quaint the liberal’s manageable dilemmas of 2013 seem now.
The third, and perhaps best, series of COMEDY VEHICLE seems to be on Netflix in the UK and, I think, the US.
It seems you can also stream CARPET REMNANT WORLD and the first 3 series of COMEDY VEHICLE on Amazon, here and I think in the US. Beats me! And, as I said above, CONTENT PROVIDER will be available as an Old Skool physical media DVD in the Autumn.
Tons of fun!

6) oxide ghosts/wok in progress

Fire Records, Films and Comedy present: ONE NIGHT ON EARTH.
Stewart Lee Upfront Work-In-Progress Show/ Oxide Ghosts: The Brass Eye Tapes Film Screening presented by Michael Cumming.

Extra show Monday Sept 16th

https://earthackney.seetickets.com/event/stewart-lee-oxide-ghosts-the-brass-eye-tapes/earth-theatre-stoke-newington/1382942

7) King Rocker Doc

Michael Cumming (Brass Eye), James Nicholls (Fire films) and I are now 1/3rd of the way through filming and editing and are looking for donations to complete the film below, which is about Birmingham post-punk survivors The Nightingales. Everyone who donates, no matter how big or how small*, will be featured in the end credits

*(I think this sentence, written by James from Fire, relates to the size of the donation, not the donor.)

https://www.kingrockerfilm.com/

There is now a podcast radio thing you can listen to of me and Michael talking about The Nightingales here.

8) Sleaford Mods

Sleaford Mods are playing the Hammersmith Apollo, London on Friday 15th November 2019.

I am bottom of the bill supporting them on a line-up that also includes Viagra Boys and Horse Meat Disco (DJ Set).

You can get tickets here.

9) Meanwhile, I Arrogantly Recommend The Long Ryders, Ben Moor & Jo Neary

‘80S LA Country rock legends The Long Ryders continue their insurgent resurgence at The Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Saturday July 20th.

Polymath writer and performance artist Ben Moor has a bunch of stuff happening. He has written a new show BOOKTALKBOOKTALKBOOK, co-starring Fringe comedy regular Jo Neary. There are a number of upcoming chances to catch this weird, funny, wise, mind-twisty, silly show about two authors at a bookreading. It concerns A.I., washing-up techniques, card tricks, bad novels, the love of books, and how long we should give people who we think might be running late.

Saturday 13th July 2019, 4.00pm – The Idler Festival Ben premiered BTBTB at the Idler Academy at last year’s Port Eliot Festival. There’s another chance to catch Wife on Earth at The Idler magazine’s 2nd annual weekend of delights and surprises. At Fenton House in Hampstead.

Friday 26th July 2019 WOMAD Festival And finally (for now) the show is part of the World of Words stage at this awesome celebration of our planet’s excellent human-produced sounds and ideas. Ben had the best time here last year, and says it’s great to be returning.

Ben’s last show, PRONOUN TROUBLE, is also on again. It concerns The Hunting Trilogy, a series of cartoons directed by Chuck Jones, and the philosophical questions about time, friendship and uncertainty it raises. It also looks at a few cool things from the real world, and involves an ever-expanding reading list of book recommendations. Plus there are badges.

Thursday 13th & Friday 14th June 2019, 7.30pm – Etcetera Theatre As part of a Double Bill with the excellent Izzy Mant, and what Ben says is “her deeply funny and wonderfully frank examination of courtesy in a rude world”, Polite Club. Izzy’s show begins at 9.00pm. TICKETS

Pronoun Trouble is also available as a DOWNLOAD from GoFasterStripe.