Skinner is immediately drawn to a man in the front row with a black kilt, sparkly black jacket and cane.
He proves to be something of a comic foil for Frank throughout the show and loves every minute. The 66-year-old refers back to when he first won the Perrier Award in 1991, calling his brother in all the excitement.
His sibling struggles to fathom the concept of bottled water, having never heard of Perrier, missing out on Skinner’s first big achievement. There’s been plenty since, allowing some moments of self-depreciation including his failed Fringe play and terrible first novel which the audience love. Skinner himself acknowledges that it would be great for the crowd if he “died on his arse” tonight as people love to hear that, perhaps telling us something deeper and problematic about the human condition.
He openly discusses his Catholic faith, saying the last time he mentioned it he could hear John Knox’s statue outside groan. His skit about a retired priest at his church nearly brought the house down. Skinner is still taking risks which is perhaps one reason he continues to sell out the Fringe year after year.
He does notice some empty seats near the front and manages to turn that into another hearty observational gag. Frank Skinner remains one of the masters of stand-up comedy.
