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.
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Bosco239, youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Idrie, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube