A CONTROVERSIAL comedian has urged a Colchester audience to “cheer up” after performing a near to sold-out headline show in the city which saw a heckler thrown out.

The Scottish television comedian Frankie Boyle, 51, brought his Lap Of Shame tour to the Charter Hall, in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, last night.

The popular stand-up comic is known for his dark sense of humour and boundary-pushing jokes, and last night marked his latest trip after previously performing at Colchester Arts Centre.

Gazette: Comedian - Frankie urged the Colchester audience to cheer upComedian - Frankie urged the Colchester audience to cheer up (Image: Newsquest)

Gazette: Tour - Frankie is currently on a huge national tour called The Lap Of ShameTour - Frankie is currently on a huge national tour called The Lap Of Shame (Image: Newsquest)

From the start of his 65 minute set, Frankie’s jaw-dropping array of jokes were extremely strong and offensive to many.

After greeting Colchester with a warm-up joke about cancer, the comic assured the crowd.

He said: “Sorry Colchester, I already have your money, you might as well relax and enjoy yourselves.”

Later on through the set during a crucial part of the amusing set, he said: “I don't know what sort of local disaster has happened this week but I will cheer you up.”

The set covered a wide variety of topics and people. Frankie discussed being single in his fifties, politicians, celebrities, billionaires, toxic masculinity,  the current state of the UK,  the climate crisis, serious criminal offences, serial killers and much more.

Gazette: Career - The 51-year-old comedian has built successful career for himself and has appeared on many television comedy showsCareer - The 51-year-old comedian has built successful career for himself and has appeared on many television comedy shows (Image: Newsquest)

Gazette: Performance - Frankie Boyle at Charter HallPerformance - Frankie Boyle at Charter Hall (Image: Newsquest)

The most interesting part of the set came when he unpacked the nature of his dark controversial jokes and the context of them in 2023. 

He said: “Should I be doing that joke? It is ok in this context.”

Although the set was full of jokes of an extreme nature, Frankie took the time to analyse how they are all intended as fiction and he urged people in real positions of power to take action on serious issues.

He also commented on how some comedians have got into comedy to bring laughter and happiness, amusingly, Frankie got into stand-up comedy to “wipe the smile off people's faces”.

Entertainingly, no one was safe from his scorching hot commentary. Frankie berated the likes of Boris Johnson, MP Priti Patel, current Prime minster Rishi Sunak, and plenty of others.

Frankie commented on surgery that TV personality Simon Cowell has had in the past.

Not even the audience was safe from Franke’s wit and sense of humour, he asked numerous people in the front row what they did for a living.

A Colchester resident explained he is a plasterer and Frankie asked in return: “could you hide a body in a wall?”

He also ended up giving an NHS worker a “free pass” from his commentary before asking security to throw out a heckler on the front row.

The crowd erupted in applause as the man was escorted from the venue.

Frankie ended the show on an optimistic note about a terrible psychology experiment in the 1970s called the pit of despair and bided the audience goodnight.