Stewart Lee is to release a dark comedic retelling of Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussycat and will be promoting it on a UK book tour.
“I am having problems relating to my crew member, having never been a great fan of cats, nor they of birds. Why have we been press ganged into service together? What can they hope to achieve by sending this absurd duo out to sea? I am an owl. The Cat is a cat...”
In Pea Green Boat, Stewart Lee and David Waywell create a dark, grotesque retelling of The Owl and the Pussycat in which Edward Lear's characters are revealed to be catastrophically poorly-equipped for maritime travel. Told through the increasingly deranged diary of the Owl, the real story is unmasked – he cannot open the honey jar due to his lack of opposable thumbs, he is terrified the cat will eat him in his sleep, and he struggles to play the guitar despite having no fingers. As hunger, exhaustion and poor navigation take their toll, it becomes clear that these two creatures should never have been put in a boat together.
Inspired by Stewart Lee’s cult 2001 stage piece, Pea Green Boat blends Lee’s fascination with Edward Lear with his own comedy. Now, with David's gothic-comic illustrations, the story is brought vividly, hilariously and unsettlingly to life.
Stewart Lee began performing stand-up in 1988 and won the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year in 1990. He co-wrote the libretto for Jerry Springer: The Opera, which won four Olivier Awards, and is known for his BAFTA-winning BBC series Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. His major live shows include Carpet Remnant World, Much A Stew About Nothing, Snowflake/Tornado, Basic Lee and Stewart Lee vs The Man- Wulf.
He is also the bestselling author of How I Escaped My Certain Fate, Content Provider, and March of the Lemmings.
David Waywell (Illustrator)
David Waywell is a writer and illustrator based in the North West. He holds a PhD in Romantic Literature from the University of Liverpool and is the author of The Secret Lives of Monks and Second-Class Male (written as Stan Madeley)
BOOK TOUR
Stewart Lee, plus musicians, perform PEA GREEN BOAT
Stewart Lee performs his darkly comic tale based on Edward Lear’s ‘The Owl & The Pussy- cat’ with live improvised musical accompaniment. These live shows mark the publication of PEA GREEN BOAT by Stewart Lee and illustrated by David Waywell, and, at Leicester Square Theatre, every ticket includes a hardback copy (RRP £16.99 Ebury) to be collected at the performance. Copies will be available to buy at other venues. Suitable for age 16+.
‘It’s the Edward Lear / Stewart Lee Mash-Up that I’ve been waiting for!’ Harry Hill
Wed 9th Sept 2026, 7:30pm Liverpool Music Room, Royal Philharmonic with WILL SERGEANT on ambient guitar
Tues Dec 1 - Thurs Dec 3, 7pm, London Leicester Square Theatre
Tickets go on sale on Friday 24th April 2026 at www.stewartlee.co.uk/pgb. Further dates and accompanying musicians to be announced.
Picture by Jody Hartley
