YOU know the name, right, but the face doesn’t ring any bells. And that’s the way comedian Stewart Lee likes it.

“There is something to be said for not being a really famous comedian,” he said.

“I still have a degree of anonymity and also there isn’t the pressure of the competition.

“For those really famous comedians, there are always going to be younger comedians coming on to the scene who are fresher and have better material.

“I like to think I’m still in the loop because I’m still playing the circuit and get to see these new people.”

In fact, some would say Stewart Lee really does have the best of both worlds.

Born in Solihull, he began performing as a stand-up comedian, at the age of 20, in 1988, and won the Hackney Empire new act of the year award in 1990.

In the early Nineties, he wrote for and performed in various BBC Radio comedy shows, including Fist of Fun, with Richard Herring, and On The Hour, with Steve Coogan and Chris Morris.

After directing the Mighty Boosh’s breakthrough Edinburgh show, Arctic Boosh, in 1999, he gave up comedy for four years, wrote an acclaimed novel called the Perfect Fool, and moved into theatre.

In 2002, Stewart was invited to help write and direct the composer Richard Thomas’ developing work, Jerry Springer the Opera, which went on to win four Olivier awards after its National Theatre run.

Returning to stand-up, Stewart’s successful 2004 Edinburgh Fringe show set him back on the comedy circuit, but it’s his return to television which has reaped rewards once again.

Last year he was commissioned by BBC2 to do a television show, Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle.

“Obviously the television show has made some kind of impact,” he said, “because there are a lot more people coming to see my shows and I’m playing bigger venues. I’ve also been able to pay someone to help me out and drive me around.

“A second series would be great, but I don’t want to do them for much longer. I have a young son and I wouldn’t want to compromise him in the future by still being on the telly and I still like the fact I can go to a bookshop or the pub and not get bothered to much.

“I’ve been with proper famous people and it’s weird. Some people like that, but I wouldn’t.”

As well as getting more bums on seats, the television show has also come in quite handy from a financial point of view, because if you think the man who came up with the idea for the West End musical hit Jerry Springer the Opera would be rolling in it, think again.

With huge critical acclaim, he should have struck gold, but with complaints about the show’s alleged blasphemous content, many of the shows on the subsequent national tour were pulled.

Stewart said: “I did it for practically nothing when it first came out.

“I got paid a little bit when it was at the National but, just at the point it should have started making us some money with a national tour, the Christian groups got on to it and started making a big thing about it.”

Following another successful run at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, Stewart is back on the road with his latest show, If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One.

“Thankfully there are a lot of people who are coming to see the shows who know me and my style of stand-up,” Stewart said. “I think that has been a problem in the past.

“I’m not the most accessible comic. I generally talk about things that annoy people and make them confused, and I do it in an incomprehensible style.”

While I would agree he’s certainly not a mainstream stand-up, his popularity would suggest he’s still pretty accessible.

“I just enjoy doing the stand-up,” he added. “I love the fact I can have an idea in the morning and then play with it that evening at a gig – and if people like that as well, then that’s great too.”

Stewart Lee is at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, on October 31. For tickets, priced £16 and £14, call the box office on 01206 573948 or visit www.mercurytheatre.co.uk.