Venue:
Oxford Playhouse
Date: 24/02/2020
This was the first time I have seen Stewart Lee live despite being a long time fan of his previous work on TV and on stage. The show comprises two separate sets entitled ‘Tornado’ and ‘Snowflake’ with the former being about 70 minutes long and the latter slightly shorter.
Tornado – this for me was the far stronger set and had me crying with laughter at the climax of the set as he went into an Alan Bennett voice bringing together the themes set up during the previous hour. The theme of Tornado is based on a Netflix review that was online for over two years about one of his earlier BBC TV series and describes the show as including sharks falling from the sky…no more spoilers. The other themes of this set include the usual attacks on other comedians as you would expect and a very early visit into the audience to remove someone’s phone! This set was the best I have ever seen from him.
Snowflake – this was a more traditional ‘I am a lefty alternative comedian from the late 1980s’ set and when full tilt at the new Boris Johnson led government and the new world of political correctness from the perspective of a 52 year old man. It was enjoyable and he clearly hasn’t lost his political views! Again a pop at other comedians forms part of this set, particularly the man who became famous via The Office.
The audience:
A mixed audience of 40+ people with some dragging along kids who he clearly didn’t think would get a lot of the referencers to the 1980/90s and played on this.
It made me think..
He still is the ‘Best Stand Up Comedian in the World” as he was recently described in The Times. This is referred to a few times during the sets as well!
Saw it at the Leicester Square Theatre back in November. He sold out a longish run there, and it seems he’s committed to several shows at the Festival Hall over the summer. Suggests that he has a lot more than a cult following these days.
So glad to read that it was a great set – I’ll be doing my best to go along to see him at the first opportunity. I think he’s an interesting, charismatic individual who thinks clearly and shares his insights and puzzlements through his work, and consequently I am very much a fan.
Saw the show in Edinburgh. In short: it’s very, very funny (any details you might want to know in advance have already been mentioned, in the original post).
I’ve seen him many times (and as Bacon Face, in a tiny room, in Edinburgh) and he’s always entertained me greatly.
He’s really really clever but I don’t think I’ve ever belly laughed at anything he’s done. I’ll keep trying.
I hadn’t up until the climax of the Tornado set which actually had me in tears of laughter.
Very jealous of you! This is the first time we’ve missed him in Brighton for years, new life as a postie is not conducive to late night gigs 20+ miles away. Hopefully we might see this is he around this way again.
I don’t know much about Stewart Lee and, intrigued by this review and what with this being a crap weather Sunday, I thought I’d give him a spin on YouTube. So I watched ‘Stewart Lee – Stand up Comedian’. I didn’t think there was a single remotely funny moment in the whole show. I thought he was extremely boring (although nowhere near as painful to watch as the absolutely dire ‘An Evening With Noel Fielding’ which I also watched). Mind you, I really like Ricky Gervais’s and Simon Amstell’s shows, so I have to accept I’m probably not very AW as far as stand up comedy is concerned.
Threads on comedians tend to bring out the nastiness in us. There’s usually a vicious punch up. They seem to provoke extreme emotions, from love to hate, in a trice.
Best to steer clear or *duck*.
Silly people can get riled about anything, bless ’em.
He’s not for me either, but I think that’s kind of the idea. ‘I’m not remotely funny, but you’re laughing, but you’re smart for being knowing enough to see through me. Amn’t I cute enough to kiss?’
I would never waste my money going to see any of the current crop at a paid gig. Poor VFM, in my opinion.
I do sometimes go to the monthly Comedy Night down the pub, but it’s rare that I get more than a few chuckles out of it. No complaints because it’s free entry. Mainly I’m only there to have a few midweek beers.
Excellent. Got a ticket to see him in Newcastle at the end of this month. Will be my third time watching him, and he’s not disappointed yet. Also, chatting to him post-gig, he’s a really lovely bloke, which is always nice.