Frankie Boyle is a charismatic performer. From the moment he appears on stage, he has his audience eating out of the palm of his hand and can do much as he likes with them.

He kicked off his show with some abusive banter with the audience and established that most of its members were Scottish. Indeed, this was a show that appeared to have been written specifically with Scots in mind. As a curtain-raiser, a short film had been shown in which Boyle - dressed in tartan as an Edinburgh tour guide interviewed other Scots and made absurd statements about its monuments and history.

When he launched into his set, it was rare for a gag to fail. You could not deny Boyle’s remarkable comedy talent. His material is skilfully crafted and delivered with beautiful voice and perfect timing. Many of his jokes are topical but he gets more out of the obvious subjects than most comedians.

Certainly, he does not seem to believe in self-censorship. Boyle is happy to tell gags about the disabled or child abuse, provided at least half of an audience laugh at them.

Like Brendon Burns and Reginald D Hunter, Boyle is redefining the boundaries of taste in comedy. Unlike them, he does not see the intellectual need to justify himself.