Stewart Lee was at the Curve to present Vegetable Stew; material intended for his forthcoming Comedy Vehicle TV show.
In his book, How I Escaped My Certain Fate, Lee admitted he enjoys losing an audience and attempting to win it back, which made it difficult to tell if Sunday’s performance was deliberately evasive.
Lee’s understanding of the art of stand-up was evident all through, with numerous asides for meta-observations about the nature of the routine.
On occasion, he would stop the flow to comment on some seemingly unplanned thing he’d said or done.
It then became apparent how carefully planned Lee’s comedy was.
He relied on the audience being sufficiently familiar with stand-up to understand when its conventions were being subverted, and for the most part, they were with him.
The middle of the show elicited less audience approval, concerning satirical observations about Adrian Chiles and Gary Lineker.
By the time he was making accusations that comedian Russell Howard was responsible for deaths in the developing world, the crowd weren’t so sure the targets deserved it.
He pulled everyone back for a confessional tale about his involvement with the elitist Bullingdon Club at Oxford University, before defiantly derailing it at the close.
Lee deserved his plaudits for daring to challenge his audience and they in turn recognised a masterclass when they got it.
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, 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
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter