The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Jimmy Carr 2019 Alhambra, Dunfermline, September 24-25; Perth Concert Hall, September 26; Caird Hall, Dundee, September 27
He set out on his epic tour way back on May 1 and now Jimmy Carr’s all set to bring his controversial show to Courier Country.
The TV funnyman’s latest live offering, entitled Terribly Funny, is playing to bumper crowds at around 170 UK gigs this year and next.
Following a few weeks off, he resumed his gigging activities earlier this month and arrives in Fife on the back of mixed reviews.
Known for his deadpan delivery and dark sense of humour, Carr, 46, rose to fame in the early 2000s, going on to appear in a number of Channel 4 hit series.
He’s hosted the popular panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats since 2005, with his other best-known credits including his lead roles on spin-off 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and the annual mirth-fest Big Fat Quiz Of The Year.
The Anglo-Irish comedian also broke new ground by hosting Channel 4’s A Comedy Roast in 2010 and his recent TV work also includes a presenting stint on American comedy panel show The Fix on Netflix. No stranger to outrage thanks to his trademark brand of sordid material, Carr made a joke about Gypsy women on Radio 4’s Loose Ends in 2006 that prompted the BBC to issue an apology.
Never one to censor his material or bow to political correctness, Carr refused to back down and continued to use the gag, and he was later slated by several tabloid newspapers in 2009 for making a joke about British soldiers who had lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying the UK would have a strong team at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
In 2012, he apologised for “a terrible error of judgment” after his involvement in an alleged K2 tax avoidance scheme – concerning UK earners signing offshore employment contracts – came to light.
A review of one of the standup’s taboo-busting summer shows published in The Guardian described his performance as “a relentless wallow in grubbiness”, highlighting Carr’s propensity for “relentless downward kicking”.
He’s not giving interviews at the moment, but the comic’s teased his fans with a description of his latest show. “Jimmy’s brand new show contains jokes about all kinds of terrible things,” his tour publicity blurb states.
“Terrible things that might have affected you or people you know and love. But they’re just jokes – they are not the terrible things. Jokes are little lies. Nothing more than wonderful, funny, joyful tricks, constructed from language.
“Jimmy will be telling jokes to an adult paying audience who’ve got a good idea what’s in store. And there’s no point to the show, save for to make the audience laugh. Having political correctness at a comedy show is like having health and safety at a rodeo. Now you’ve been warned, enjoy the laughs.”