If you want to get ahead get a suit. It worked for Jack Dee and Jimmy Carr and now it is working for Frankie Boyle, the smart Glaswegian gob whose lengthy London run suggests he is on the verge of a major showbiz breakthrough. As for artistic breakthroughs, that's another matter.
The star of BBC2's Mock The Week is a master of the cruel one-liner, which is lucky as there was not much else in an hour of sour stand-up, poking fun at celebrities from Jamie Oliver ("hasn't he done well for someone with low-level Down's Syndrome?") to Osama Bin Laden.
He certainly tells jokes well, relishing beyond-the-knuckle gags not suitable for telly, particularly one about Macy Gray. Yet while there is greater rudeness with Boyle uncut, there is no greater depth.
He is an undeniably witty comedian who boasts some fine unprintable turns of phrase and can even find fresh spins on Princess Diana. But this critic found his one-note banter oddly depressing. For me his best material was his brown jacket.
Until 12 Nov. Information: 0870 606 3400. Cambridge Theatre, 18 Nov, 9, 16 Dec. Information: 0871 297 0742.
Frankie Boyle
Arts Theatre
Great Newport Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 7JB
