But this incident –– where Kitson implores a man to 'reign in' his braying laugh –– is typical of Kitson, a stubbornly honest and decidedly anti-showbiz performer.

He may not be a household name, due in part to his refusal to make television appearances, but his reputation as one of Britain's finest comedians is enough to ensure he sells out Thursday's show at Nottingham's Playhouse Theatre with ease.

And the 'laughing incident' in fact ties in perfectly with the theme of his show, The Impotent Fury of the Privileged.

Not so much a comedy show as a comedic lecture, the two-hour performance sees Kitson lamenting the decline in courtesy and responsibility in modern society, and imploring his audience to think carefully about how they treat those around them.

This hardly sounds like a laugh a minute, but Kitson is a master of his craft, and his intricately-structured show is both compelling and almost implausibly hilarious.

As he himself argues, there's nothing wrong with being 'a bit preachy' –– as long as what you're preaching is something actually worth hearing.

On the strength of this show, as flawless as it is inspiring, whatever Daniel Kitson has to say is almost certainly something worth hearing.