FRESH from his own late-night television series, Stewart Lee is perhaps bemused by the fact the venue tonight has not sold out. Not that he lets the opportunity pass without a little comedic nudging.

Nevertheless, he shuffles off merrily and is replaced by his German warm-up act who endears himself to the audience with gentle cultural-difference musings before revealing some sharp, bone-close gags that even he looks unsure he should be delivering.

Lee trundles back on and slays the floor with 30 minutes of brilliant insanity.

Caffe Nero accusing him of fraud, and a pirate's written rant slamming their first-date location of a pirate-themed children's play place are absolute bankers.

And he needs them.

Because come the middle-to-end of the show, Lee's phenomenal opening salvo has earned the audience's lenience for more lengthy diatribes that take some time to get to the pay-off. And the gags are good, but rarely worth the quiet journey Lee puts in.

Lee's rapport with the crowd is excellent; we warm to him immediately and his personal battles become ours. But the latter stages of the show often come across like a lonely man looking for a chat.

It's lucky, then, that Lee's blistering opening has afforded him our patience for this, although the musical number to finish, strongly tests the resolve.