Stewart Lee

In 2007, Stewart Lee was voted the 41st best stand-up of all time in an official Channel 4 poll, apparently better than Lenny Bruce but not as good as Jim Davidson. But what real difference does this accolade make? His TV pilot has been cancelled and his mother still thinks the 1970s game show host Tom O'Connor is funnier than him.

Lee's 2009 solo show sees the brilliantly unique comedian distracted by scores of imaginary pirates, consumed with loathing for Top Gear and despair over a Magners' Cider ad campaign. No comedy fan should be without this vast and all-consuming epic of stand-up, exploring the absolute limits of the art form. There are also some jokes.