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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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Stuart, Chortle
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Rudeness, 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
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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John Robins, Comedian
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Idrie, Youtube
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube