In drainpipe jeans and common-sense shirt, Stewart Lee runs up the aisle to the stage and draws a chalk circle around the microphone.
This, he explains, is what medieval clowns used to do outside churches in order to protect themselves from being persecuted for heresy.
He is going to need it.
In the past year, Lee has been the subject of death threats, blasphemy prosecutions and an endoscopy, following the explosion of outrage that met the showing of Jerry Springer: The Opera on television. And yet his response is now to blaspheme further and fiercer than ever before, delivered with his usual deadpan seriousness. One phrase in particular, about one of the Lord’s orifices, will be repeated for days by everyone who heard it.
While the room laughed about as much as is possible, it is Lee’s subtlety and intelligence that make his act exceptional. He does very little – no silly voices, no props, no gurning, no sound effects.
But he is so sure of his grip on the crowd, which at times was close to hypnotic, that he can stop halfway through a joke to await the doubled wave of laughter that will come when the audience work out the punchline for themselves.
This technique doesn’t always work, he explains, as 200-odd people dab the tears from their eyes. In western Australia, he found that everybody waited politely for him to finish the joke. “But there, they don’t go to stand-up comedy to have a laugh. It’s more a way of getting access to news.”
A perfect hour.
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, 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
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com