For a few seconds, I genuinely thought he was having a breakdown.
After two decades of lapping up his edgy, rant-filled routines, I thought I knew just how far Stewart Lee would go to make his audience feel uncomfortable.
But he had managed to suck me in once more.
Seemingly frustrated his new material wasn’t going down well, he suddenly blamed audiences like us for the high suicide rate among comedians, snarling as he told us how hard it was to write good routines and we just did not appreciate hard-working performers like himself.
When an audience member had the temerity to go for a comfort break during one of the darker moments – he was listing comedians he’d known who’d killed themselves – he launched a host of four-letter insults at the hapless fan and told him not to come back. And he didn’t – like many of us, unclear whether Lee was joking or genuinely offended.
Things had started off in a much more familiar way. After getting sick of being told by the Daily Mail comedians were too scared of telling anti-Islamic jokes, he informed us he’d decided to take up the challenge. What followed was a witty, well engineered piece which expertly balanced his liberal misgivings with his irreverence towards religion.
Unfortunately, the second half was nowhere near as edgy, taking in the far safer ground of UKIP-bashing and ridiculing more commercially successful comedians.
Lee Mack has apparently called him “an intellectual snob”, cue Lee undercutting his rival by name-dropping Bertolt Brecht. That was always going to go down well with this audience – who filled all but a handful of the 2,000 seats – but it’s the kind of material he was doing 15 years ago.
Indeed, the edgiest bit of the second half saw the audience member who he’d insulted before the break (the chap had crept back in at the start of the second half) getting his own back through a spot of heckling. But even he was on his feet applauding at the end.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, 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
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com