Frankie Boyle

Frankie Boyle review: Appalling, vicious, clarty

In the week censors ruled Billy Connolly's sweary words were not aggressive, were not meant to insult anyone and therefore shouldn't be X-rated, his heir apparent as Britain's funniest man picked up the effing ball and ran with it.

Fresh from his deeply entertaining TV tour of Scotland, featuring road tests of fresh material, comic Frankie Boyle now brings this 45-minute set of his typically acerbic observations from the King's Theatre in Glasgow. Tackling that eternally thorny intersection of free speech and humour, Boyle meditates on which aspects of the human condition and our experiences we are free to laugh at and which jokes are simply a step too far. Of course, expect lines to be crossed.

Comedy at the Covid Arms review

Consummate host Kiri Pritchard-McLean sets the stage for Frankie Boyle and others in a show with true comedy-club feel.

Modern comedy might not appeal, but joke's not over yet

Glumness settles on a large part of the nation whenever the subject of comedy comes up now. The lockdown has led to a more frenetic search for entertainment, and the current state of humour hasn't wanted for critics. This week, Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson, 80, said it was dire, and listed several comedians, adding: "They should be done under the Trade Description Act." I sympathised with his assessment, while also feeling there were a few comedians today who are as fine as any of previous generations.

Frankie Boyle sparks backlash with "hypocritical" joke

He's the celebrated Scottish comedian who's written a column for The Sun and articles for The Guardian. Now Frankie Boyle has been accused of "hypocrisy" after calling on his 2.7 million Twitter followers to stop buying newspapers.

Inside Glasgow's upfront comedy scene

Wit and four-letter artistry have made Glasgow a comedy stronghold - and with the clubs shut, the laughs are going online.

The Caird: Hecklers, Kevin Bridges and the Big Yin

Unfortunately, it comes with the territory. Any comedian courageous enough to step onto the stage - whether it is in a 20,000 seater arena or in a dank pub basement - has to be well-equipped to deal with hecklers. However, be warned, disruptive outbursts from marble-mouthed louts will never be tolerated at the Caird Hall.