Lee Evans is a one-off – a mesmerising and magnetic live performer known for his irrepressible physicality and disarming charm. Gifted with extraordinary and infectious energy, he is a human dynamo on stage. He gives his all – and more – every single night. He needs to take a towel on stage with him in order to mop his perspiring brow.

“I love getting in front of a crowd,” beams Lee, who brings his latest arena tour Monsters to the SSE Arena, Wembley later this month. “Have you ever been on a night out with a very good mate and found that you’re on precisely the same wavelength? The other night on stage, I had exactly that feeling.

“I was laughing and the audience were laughing too. We’d found common ground, and that was brilliant. I said to them, ‘We all rode a wave together there. That’s what this evening’s about.’ That got a round of applause’. I love that connection.”

What distinguishes Lee as a comedian is his wonderful curiosity about other people – he is the polar opposite of the stereotypical navel-gazing, self-obsessed performer. He is always chatting to people, picking up possible comic gems along the way.

Lee, who has been happily married to wife Heather for 30 years and is the devoted father of 20-year-old Mollie, says: “I do love talking to people, and they always seem to want to chat to me. Whenever I meet my mates in the pub, they’re always hacked off about something. They say to me, ‘I’ve just had someone round to unblock my drains – it’s been a nightmare.’ And I think, ‘Tell me more – this is potential comedy gold’.

“The other day a neighbour was telling me he had been sleeping really well. He had bought a new gadget for the bedroom that makes water sounds to help you go to sleep.

“But a few days later, he told me he was fed up because he had to keep getting up in the night to have a pee. He told me, ‘Because of the constant sound of water, I can’t help thinking about the toilet all time. I haven’t slept for four days!’ These chats sink in and come out later in a routine.”

Lee goes on to reveal some of the other subjects he will be addressing in Monsters.

“I’ll be discussing getting older and how I feel I’m running out of time. I find I don’t have enough time to do things these days.

“As I get older, I’m getting angrier because I think things are wasting my time. ‘I haven’t got time to wait for this bus or that plane or that delivery from Parcel Force or queue in the supermarket.’ The older you are, the more things get on your nerves.”

The stand-up proceeds to explain exactly what is getting his goat at the moment.

“Noise pollution, people chatting too loudly on planes, annoying people on TV shows – ‘What on earth is that idiot doing on my telly? I don’t know who they are, and they’re appearing on celebrity TV shows!’

“Also, what’s the point of plastic surgery? It makes you look like an alien! All these things will come into play in the show.

“I strive to create a show where the audience is hurting from laughing so much. I don’t particularly care for comedy where the audiences clap politely at the end and say, ‘That was all right’.

“I aim to put on a show where people say, ‘I really, really enjoyed that. For three hours, I forgot about all the rubbish going on in the rest of my life.’ I want them to come out afterwards saying, ‘Wow!’”

  • Lee Evans – Monsters is at London SSE Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, Wembley from Wednesday, November 19 to Saturday, November 22. Details: 0844 815 0815, ssearena.co.uk