Every live stand up show is an unique event and the possibility of failure is real. Will the audience behave as anticipated?
Stewart Lee has been touring Snowflake for some time and the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe run at The Stand’s New Town Theatre marks the end of its life. This afternoon, this is what happened –
The comedian introduces himself from backstage, comes on, delivers a great opening line and then some twat with a phone heckled. And, despite repeated requests, he refused to turn his phone off. It took around five or six minutes to sort out.
“In my thirty-three years of stand up experience…” says Lee, “it’s very unlikely that the show can recover from this.”
But quickly recover he did.
Right wing Brexiter, Tony Parsons, once described Lee as, and I’m paraphrasing from memory, “a woke, enlightened, professionally sensitive, Guardian columnist, BBC approved comedian…”
He didn’t mean it as a compliment.
The show sets about dismantling Parsons’ views via digressions and playful teasing of sections of the audience. This is Lee in full flow. Carving up the crowd, overexplaining the jokes. In a class of his own.
“Don’t get caught up in their stupid culture war of blaming people who aren’t to blame, for things they haven’t done. Try and stay a snowflake if you can.” Lee concludes.
The comedian is too intelligent and too funny to be ignored. Just turn your bloody phone off.
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter