Stewart Lee likes to paint himself as an outcast. So how does he cope when, even with his BBC2 series long gone, he has already sold out three months in this 400-seater with a long tour and five nights at the Royal Festival Hall to follow? When Alan Bennett is among his fans? When this newspaper (specifically me, sorry) labelled him the best comedian in the world after his stunning previous show, Content Provider?
Well, there’s always his looks and health issues to contrast with his career. “I’m deaf, I’m blind, I’m grey, I’m fat,” suggests the bulkier-than-before, 51-year-old Lee. And then there is the indignity of having Netflix put completely the wrong description on his work, while Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr et al plough on from smash hit to smash hit.
If the challenges of being both exalted and excluded sound like a neat cul-de-sac for Lee to wander down rather than the basis for a whole show, then you have the limitations of Tornado, the first of two supposedly separate hours of stand-up. Lee roasts his rivals with enjoyable spite. He retains his buoyant way with knotty ideas. Yet the self-obsession that was previously a fizzing footnote to his act is a flatter proposition when it lacks larger topics to interact with. And a closing Bennett parody is a tame target for a comedian of Lee’s extraordinary skill and ambition.
The second hour, Snowflake, has Lee mocking-cum-celebrating his status as a peddler of endangered liberal values. Political correctness? He’s for it, give or take. He gets stuck into artful ironies and pointed nonsense about Phoebe Waller-Bridge and James Bond and Noddy and computer games, and mocks comedians (Gervais again) who supposedly “say the unsayable”. The details are accomplished, but the evening lacks the polyphonic verve of Lee at his best.
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Idrie, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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World Without End, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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John Robins, Comedian
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter