Stewart Lee’s previous stand-up show, Content Provider, is one of my top 10 sets of all time. His follow-up, Tornado/Snowflake, lumbers a little under the weight of expectation, but it’s an enviable load to carry.
This is ostensibly two shows divided by an interval, but the distinction between them is a little blurred. Both spend more time mocking his career and ridiculing individual comedians than Content Provider did. He’s the self-described figurehead of the metropolitan elite, yet his references to political events are muted. There is, though, a deftly constructed routine lacerating the complaint of his gran’s demographic — “It’s political correctness gone mad!” — that he deploys as a brutally eloquent defence of the snowflake generation.
Tornado sees him despairing at the state of his career and his health. “I’m deaf, I’m blind, I’m grey, I’m fat,” the 51-year-old sighs, recounting the levelling experience of a nurse suggesting he do some “chair-based activity”.
For some time, he explains, the online description of his Netflix special had, inexplicably, been taken from the site’s entry on the inane Sharknado disaster films, in which sharks rain down on terrified Americans.
From here, he moves on to roast comedians whose sets haven’t been misbilled by Netflix: Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappelle. The last of these is the lead in an extended mini drama he creates around the night he performed in the same venue as the American comic and tried to befriend him.
Those who have read his book, which meticulously unpicks his own routines, know that, in theory at least, there are two Stewart Lees: the amiable real person and the irascible comic he constructs. Just as theatrical mask work pretends to hide the performer, but actually magnifies them, so Stewart Lee the Comedian allows Lee space to create fantastical riffs around real events — such as the surreal finale to his Chappelle routine, which involves a chase through the streets of Soho.
Tornado ends with an unexpected parody of Alan Bennett’s prose, prompted by the writer’s faint praise that Lee is “the JL Austin of what is now rather a sloppy profession”. There is something about the comic’s lilting Yorkshire accent and facial contortions here that feels positively playful.
The second half, Snowflake, is the stronger by far, dealing with what can and can’t be said in these fevered times. He returns to savage Gervais and other self-proclaimed victims who aim to “say the unsayable” by literally doing just that: hilariously attempting to force “unsayable” words past the barrier of his teeth.
What makes Snowflake fly is his abrupt ideological swerves. He teases lefties who have been “starved of the opportunity to participate in mass agreement” since Content Provider. He’s probably the first liberal to skewer Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the praise lavished on her to-camera asides in Fleabag. Her woke 007 he imagines as a futile, sexless spy reduced to bizarre forms of bestiality. There are parodies of Enid Blyton’s racism, a father’s despair at computer games, even a comedy song as a finale. His shtick is beautifully pointed, but, given the box-office success of this show, should be received as ironically as it’s given.
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter