Some comedians choose reggae or punk as their intro music, some declare their grandiosity with a blast of opera, but Stewart Lee brings us into the room with some cerebral, complicated jazz.
He deliberately screws up his announcement from behind the curtain – which is another clue as to how complex and multi-layered this show is going to be.
A few years ago Lee wrote a show around a comedy routine written so it was impossible to steal. In this show, with its deliberately naff title, he breaks all the unwritten rules about how a comedian is supposed to behave. He cultivates a sneery obnoxious persona, he consults his notes, he shares his inner monologue about how long each particular segment is supposed to take.
For the comedy nerds he digresses to provide overblown academic descriptions of the anatomy of a joke.
Ostensibly Lee is trying out material for his new television series – but he has already performed these routines more than a hundred times on his national tour.
Despite the “work in progress” label, this is a highly controlled, highly deliberate and highly theatrical performance about the nature of laughter and the art of stand-up. Lee pulls his audience into his game to act as his collaborators – while leaving them wondering which of his attitudes and opinions are real.
He claims that all he is doing is “reading the room” – quoting a possibly fictitious old jazz player.
But this is a very big room. And despite all the intellectual posturing, the greatest laughs are found in the most accessible and most idiotic moments.
Whether he is talking about fairies at the bottom of the garden, listening to foreign radio under the covers or being haunted by dead comedians, Lee has the ability to reduce his audience to helpless spleen-splitting laughter.
The Assembly Rooms (Venue 20) until 30 August
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com