Back in the 1990s David Baddiel was a household name. He sang Three Lions with Ian Brodie and Frank Skinner. He hosted Fantasy Football League. He was papped looking like the genuine New Lad at showbiz parties. But fame, of course, is a fickle world.

That the Corn Exchange had been split in two and a curtain drawn to hide the empty raked seating provided both an apt narrative and necessary intimacy for Baddiel’s return to stand-up.

He admitted he’d given up last time because interest dwindled. But it felt as if he was back because he had something he believed was worth saying rather than because he had school fees to pay. Fame: Not The Musical does not open new doors to “slebdom” but it is straight from the heart.

A collection of anecdotal stories about the mundanity of being a face, whether it is Baddiel’s or Ben Elton’s or some other dishevelled-looking Jewish uncle, were set beside the sort of considered, thoughtful thinking that meant Baddiel’s chops never really fitted in the first place.

The show was well-crafted. Baddiel brought in slides and videos, but his great challenge is to find a new audience.