TomTalks #29: Frankie Boyle-Lap of Shame, Birmingham (Twisted, Political, and Deeply Funny)

 

I have always loved comedy as a means to bring a smile to your face and to poke fun at the bleakness of life. Not many do that better than Frankie Boyle, a Scottish Comedian who first came to my attention for his time on Mock The Week. After his time on that show, he would have further success with his own shows and appearances on the likes of Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

His older material received much controversy for poking fun at many including the Royal Family, Politicians, and his infamous joke about Harvey Price. However, as he admits in his latest tour he has mellowed out, with his material focusing more on those who promote the Capitalist system. This was shown on the now cancelled Frankie Boyle's New World Order, which took aim at news events and the current Politicians we have. However, he still has time for personal insults, starting the show by calling Elon Musk bad even by South African standards.

But before we talk about the main man, we have to give some spotlight to his opening act. After some expensive commodities pre-show (£16 for a double Archers and lemonade and a small tub of Ice Cream is the biggest joke of the evening), we sat down for Christopher Macarthur-Boyd. 

Christopher Macarthur-Boyd

A fellow Scot, this man was a great choice to begin the night poking fun at the fact he doesn't like opening acts and the difference between Scottish and English train announcements. A personal fave was his description of older people having the posture of a prawn cracker which had the crowd in stitches. He's a great opener and frequents the 0121 a lot, so make sure to catch him when he's at The Glee Club.

After an interval, The Alexandra Theatre welcomed Boyle to the stage and he was a blast. From scathing remarks about our Home Secretary's sexual pleasure of punctured boats at sea to almost dating a Nazi during lockdown, he was full of wild, bleak, and humorous jokes. It was certainly shocking, (especially if you were a newcomer), but also very funny.

My personal highlights were his witty comebacks to those who heckled him, his commentary on cancel culture ("You say you've been silenced, so why can I still f*****g hear you?), and his critiques of modern Politicians. This included remarking if Kier Starmer ran at a pigeon it wouldn't move and Joe Biden being like a laptop on 4%. Some of these jokes were repeated from New World Order which lost some of there edge, but they still worked very well.

He ended the show in a typically weird fashion, discussing the Rapture and how God really intended people to make it to Heaven. It was equally bizarre as it was amusing and ended the show in style. The crowd was laughing throughout and so was I.

Frankie Boyle

Frankie Boyle was bloody brilliant. He was as witty, dark, and hilarious as on TV. His humour may not be for all and this show was definitely not suitable for under-18s, but, it was a great and satirical critique of Modern Capitalism and the downfall of Britain. Some now see him as woke (a word he describes as someone being annoyed when they see a black person), but he has just evolved as a person. 

After all, if you have an issue with someone being woke, I think it is you that has the issue. His analysis of controversial jokes, whether they should be told, and how they come from a place of toxic masculinity was particularly insightful. It highlights a man who has grown and realised his own wrongdoings and where they came from. 

Intelligence and humour usually go hand in hand (unless, as he pointed out, you like Michael McIntyre), but this was truly on display last night. Be sure to see him and Chris live before Boyle actually does retire from stand-up.

Score: 4.5/5

Frankie Boyle is on Instagram and Twitter. You can still catch some of his tour/Edinburgh Fringe dates here. Make sure to follow the Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to stay up-to-date with the latest content.