Comedy fans are still shaking their heads in awe at hit comedian Dave Chappelle's record-setting performance last weekend at Los Angeles comedy club Laugh Factory.

Chappelle turned up unannounced Sunday night and took the stage around 10:30 p.m. local time. He remained onstage until about 4:45 a.m., delivering his edgy, caustic opinion on topics as varied as U.S. President George Bush and fellow comedian Michael Richards' racially based heckling of several audiences members at the Laugh Factory last November.

Dave Chappelle, seen here onstage at the New York Laugh Factory in April 2004, did a set lasting more than six hours at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles.
(Stuart Ramson/Associated Press)

The whole time, Chappelle drew laughter from the audience of more than 150 people, according to club owner Jamie Masada. Only about a dozen people left over the course of the night, he said.

"He was absolutely amazing for six hours, making people laugh," Masada said on Tuesday.

He added that the marathon set was the longest performance by any comedian in the history of the Laugh Factory, the noted Hollywood comedy venue he opened in 1979.

Comedians who have taken its stage range from Rodney Dangerfield to Jerry Seinfeld to Jim Carrey to Roseanne Barr. Masada has also opened satellite club locations in New York and Long Beach, Calif.

The club owner also claimed he was Chappelle's "punching bag" for about 30 minutes, during a segment where the comedian poked fun at Masada's decision to fine any comic who uses the same racial slur Richards did.

Chappelle was ultimately fined $2,200 US for his multiple uses of the "n-word" throughout his six-hour, seven-minute set.

According to Masada, the previous record for the Laugh Factory's longest set was a three-hour, 50-minute performance by comedian Dane Cook earlier this month. Previously, the record-holder was a two-hour, 41-minute set comedy icon Richard Pryor gave in 1980.

Back to standup roots

Chappelle returned to the world of standup comedy last year and released the independent concert film Dave Chappelle's Block Party.

In May 2005, the popular comic and actor stunned U.S. network Comedy Central, friends and fans when he abruptly left his smash hit TV series Chappelle's Show in the middle of taping its third season.

He had been signed to a Comedy Central contract rumoured to be worth $50 million US to produce a third and fourth season of the acclaimed, top-rated show.

With files from the Associated Press.