THE comedian dubbed the “master of the callback” and the “world’s greatest living stand-up” proved he was just that during a two-night run in Sheffield City Hall.
Stewart Lee’s latest tour, Snowflake/Tornado, is two 60-minute shows of the highest calibre sliced together.
The first-half, Tornado, is inspired by the inaccurate description Lee’s show was accidentally uploaded to Netflix with: “Reports of sharks falling from the skies are on the rise again. Nobody on the Eastern Seaboard is safe”.
This turned out to be the description for B-movie Sharknado 3 — but for two years, millions of Netflix subscribers around the world clicked on the comic’s show hoping for an ocean adventure.
In trademark style, Lee (pictured) continually references back to the description while also taking aim at the careers of some of his peers.
Jimmy Carr, Josh Widdicombe, Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais are carefully unpicked — Gervais doesn’t actually say the “unsayable”, but what would it look like if he did?
Cue five long minutes — sometimes uncomfortable for both audience and comic — of Lee gagging, gasping, gurning and blabbering.
It is an endurance test and one he says a Mumsnet reader said “went on a bit”.
Even Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge — currently enjoying national treasure status — isn’t safe as Lee ridicules astonishment at her breaking of the “fourth wall”, sniping: “What did we do before she invented looking at the camera?”
Lee cleverly pokes fun at addressing the audience directly, which is a staple for stand-up comics, referring back to earlier in his set when he had broken off to talk directly to someone on their way to the toilet.
Even his own brand isn’t safe as he knowingly mocks the demographic the likes of the Daily Mail will associate him with — “the metropolitan liberal elite”.
In Snowflake, Lee examines people, like his nan, who decry “political correctness gone mad” at every opportunity.
And if being labelled a snowflake means you’re empathetic, then so be it. Hear, hear!
Lee is a total Marmite comedian — I could see audience members both completely stony-faced or bent over in stitches.
My friend and I were the latter, although even my superfan pal had to admit some of the material was rehashed.
Thank God Lee’s recent ill-health hasn’t put the brakes on his career as this was one, if not the best, comedy shows I’ve seen and is definitely worth checking out, or watching on Netflix…if you can find it.
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian