Can the Big Yin's Christmas offering earn a place in your stocking?

In a career spanning almost 40 years, Billy Connolly has continued to shock, excite and amuse audiences from all corners of the globe with his edgy and regularly controversial style of entertainment and, ten years into the dawn of a new century, the 67-year-old continues to prove that he still has the ability to entertain audiences of all ages.

Taken from his month-long sell-out tour at London’s very own Hammersmith Apollo, Billy Connolly Live in London 2010 is one of the most intriguing and peculiar comic performances you will ever have come across; but then again, when has Billy Connolly been normal?

In a way that only a Scotsman can, Billy Connolly manages to talk to us about husky farts, a penis-heavy finger salad and an overly aggressive dwarf as if they were common occurrences in his day-to-day routine. However, it’s his presentation and skill on stage that have made Connolly one of the most respected comedians of all time.

What’s most stimulating about Connolly is the way he performs; whether it’s the slight murmurs of old age or an exorbitantly convincing stage presence, he seems to just stumble through his material whilst in a mild delirium. His presentation of said material is unlike any stand-up comic you will have seen before, linking material with such effortless ease that you often don’t even notice that the subject in hand has changed. On top of this, Billy seems to have an innate ability to come and go between stories as he sees fit, resulting in seamless delivery and a thoroughly entertaining performance.

What makes Connolly just so distinctive is his absorbing image; an image that no matter how hard you try, you just can’t help but be drawn to. There’s no denying the Big Yin has a wonderful stage presence, but it’s his rather eccentric and almost regal air that really works in his favour. Despite being the court jester, Connolly’s current image is instead similar to that of King Lear, and one does wonder whether he too plans to swap the comedy circuit for a Shakespearean setting, closely following in the footsteps of fellow veteran comedian Lenny Henry. Either way, it’s captivating to watch him and, if one was to describe Billy’s image as a whole, it would have to be as the post-watershed, foul-mouthed Dumbledore.

So much for Billy as an individual - but what about his latest Christmas filler? Well, while Connolly may have a legion of fans and a career as old as Scotland itself, his latest offering is over-indulgent at times. While the laughter flows throughout, it feels slightly generic and seems to be laced with an understanding, rather than an appreciation. At times you can’t help feel that people are laughing because it’s Billy Connolly rather than because of the material he is delivering. I’m not saying his material is bad; far from it. The problem is that, like many comedians of the 21st century, Billy has gone green, regularly ‘recycling’ his material from older shows and performances. It was Connolly’s originality and freshness that made him such a household name but it is this habit, one that has saturated his stand-up, that causes the biggest problems. Without this uniqueness and individuality, his material can come across as a little fatigued.

Worthwhile remembering is that the material featured within these DVDs will usually be the best of from the tour in hand, and, as such, should never really struggle. Regrettably, the 80 minutes turns out to be a true demonstration of hit-and-miss comedy which, with over 4200 minutes to choose from, should never be the case. It does also make you wonder why the disc runs for just 80 minutes when there was so much time to choose from? I will leave you to make your own decision on this.

Unlike most reviews, it’s hard to make a decision on how good Billy’s latest outing is. At times, Connolly is the King of observational comedy, able to see the funny side of some of life’s most mundane activities. At the same time he seems to have lost the danger and edginess his performances were once revered for, replacing much of his controversial and risqué comedy with funny anecdotes and recycled material. His use of expletives occasionally feels a bit excessive but you soon realise that this is a defence mechanism that he has developed, a safe spot he can return to when he becomes lost and disorientated with his material; an unfortunately regular occurrence.

There’s no denying his talent; this man has appeared on Parkinson 15 times, has influenced a generation of comedians globally and successfully made the transition from stand-up extraordinaire to comic actor. Unfortunately, while areas of his material are comedy gold, this live performance feels more like a terrestrial ‘audience with’ appearance, rather than a solid comedy performance, and as such becomes hard to truly recommend. Nonetheless if the likes of Howard, Mack and McIntyre are not quite your cup of tea, this wee performance may just be what you’re looking for.

Billy Connolly Live in London 2010 was released in the UK yesterday.

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