Frankie Boyle to take the mic at Glasgow comedy festival

CONTROVERSIAL Scots comic Frankie Boyle is among the star names set to appear at this year's Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

• Frankie Boyle will bring his X-rated routine to the festival

Now in its ninth year, the festival has announced a line-up that also includes appearances from popular TV stand-ups like Ed Byrne, Stephen K Amos, John Bishop and Tim Vine.

The festival runs for 25 days from the 17th March, with 115,000 tickets on sale for 400 shows.

Boyle recently announced that he was to stop touring, but his only live show of 2011 will be at the King's Theatre to raise money for the Palestine Legal Aid Fund.

The Glasgow comedian, who quit BBC show Mock the Week following a furore over a joke about Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington, has courted further controversy with Tramadol Nights, his new programme on Channel 4, thanks to its no-holds-barred material.

But he remains a hugely popular draw for stand-up fans and recently sold out the SECC in Glasgow.

Another highlight for local comedy fans will be Boyle's fellow Glaswegian provocateur Jerry Sadowitz, who brings his mix of acerbic humour and magic tricks back to the festival.

On top of further big names from the stand-up circuit such as Jenny Eclair, Doug Stanhope and Mark Thomas, there will also be several unconventional shows, such as Professor Brian Cox's witty take on science and the late-night burlesque of Cabaret Noir.

Tommy Sheppard, director of the Scottish Comedy Agency, the company behind the festival, said: "The festival is becoming one of the most anticipated events on Scotland's cultural calendar and the calibre of acts is a fantastic reflection of this.

"This year is bigger and better than ever before and with a range from Frank Carson to Frankie Boyle we really do have something for everyone."

• For more information, visit www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com