In the last decade, Stewart Lee has been at the peak of his powers. Increasingly over this time he has channelled his comedy through a carefully constructed onstage persona, a parody of himself. The embittered, envious comic going through mid-life crisis, brimming with self-regard, obsessed with his own status and resentful and contemptuous of his audience. This version of himself was particularly (and very amusingly) antipathetic and antagonistic in his previous show Content Provider which was a beautifully crafted comedy set that, to my mind, further cemented his status as Britain’s finest comedian.
In his new show, Snowflake/Tornado he sardonically explores many themes which will be familiar to his audience from his status and place in the comedy world to political correctness. Despite the familiar thematic ground, it didn’t feel stale and his act contained several pleasing new twists. It was a delight to see him live in action again. So much so that I will be seeing him again in Leeds in March.
By way of introduction, Lee laments his physical decline and acknowledges the immediately noticeable fact that he has got fatter and greyer since his last tour (“I know what you’re thinking, Julian Assange has let himself go”). His exploration of the indignities of his decay kicked off the set as he told us of his recent visit to the doctor where a nurse expressed sympathy and advised him to try “chair based” exercise.
There were fewer overtly political references in his set this time, but an early comment provided Lee with the opportunity to mock himself and his (liberal love-in) audience who have been “starved of the opportunity to participate in mass agreement” over the last two years. This began a consistent theme of defending liberal sensibilities and “snowflake” PC culture while also mocking them and being far more savage and confrontational than a self-professed snowflake is supposed to be.
The show is essentially two sets separated by an interval which explore similar themes but shift the focus. In Tornado he riffs on his place in the world of comedy and how others perceive him, which is explored through his petty, bitter caricature of himself, obsessed with his status and always the butt of his own joke. There are plenty of laughs squeezed out of his faux self-regard with frequent references to The Times naming him the world’s best living comedian, “heavy is the head that wears the crown”.
The foundation of Tornado is Netflix erroneously using the blurb from absurd American horror film Sharknado to describe his award winning tv series Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle – an error that remained in place for two years. This provides the framework through which Lee explores his status and compares himself to more famous mainstream comedians, such as Ricky Gervais and Jimmy Carr (who get both barrels).
The first half climaxes gloriously in a self-mocking parody of Alan Bennett’s prose complete with an impression (“yes, I’m doing impressions now”). This was inspired by Bennett’s pretentiously high brow review of Lee’s stand up in which he bizarrely compared him to obscure philosophers. “Stewart Lee is the JL Austin of stand up… that’s a great quote for the poster”.
The second part of the show, Snowflake, kicks off with an attack on Tony Parsons’ criticism of Lee in GQ magazine in which he referred to him as “the rancid tip of a cesspit” and develops into a defence of political correctness via poking fun at his gran’s generation lamenting the things they can’t say and confusing PC culture with health and safety regulation.
He takes aim at Gervais again by ridiculing the idea that he says “the unsayable”, pointing out that “he’s not saying the unsayable, he’s saying the sayable. By definition. To millions of people for millions of dollars”. This characteristically veers off into a surreal and purposely overlong endurance test for the audience as he attempts to “say the unsayable” by gasping and groaning into the microphone as he becomes increasingly sweaty and red-faced. The laughs crescendo then dip into awkwardness before looping back round into laughs.
A highlight of the second half of the show is his sharp ridicule of the overblown, over reverential reaction to Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her show “Fleabag”. It was a a show I thought amusing and enjoyable myself, but I was also baffled by the extent of the praise and sudden explosion of Waller-Bridge mania.
Lee deconstructs the excessive praise lavished on Waller-Bridge and her award-winning show (“remember how different everything was before she invented looking at the camera and addressing the audience?”). This leads to a surreal riff on how different everything from stand up to weather forecast might have been if only they’d thought to directly address the audience and onto an exploration of what a “woke”, PC version of Bond might look like (which descends into Bond raping a range of small animals).
Tornado/Snowflake is a satisfying mix of the familiar and new. With Lee’s familiar criticism of his audience for not upping their game (he frequently lamented us being a typical “new years crowd” not reacting to certain bits as planned. There was plenty of his classic “callbacks”, digressions and self-mocking deconstruction of his own craft.
However, new elements such as the two literary spoofs were fresh and contained some of his best writing. In the first half he read “Sharknado” as written by Alan Bennett and in the second he read – in one of the wittiest parts of the routine – Enid Blyton’s “Noddy and the gollywog”.
Of course, there were several moments unique to the night as Lee reacted to the audience. With one bit of material being completely abandoned as a young member of the audience suddenly had to rush out, leading Lee to go off on an unscripted tangent.
Lee is touring Tornado/Snowflake across the country through to July and he will likely continue to develop the material in the run up to recording. While it didn’t quite hit the heights of Content Provider, this was still a masterful performance from Britain’s finest comedian and I laughed out loud throughout.
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, 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
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube