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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Scary Times

Christopher Macarthur-Boyd

YouTube · 2025 · 62 min

Anxious Scottish storytelling filmed live at Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre.

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Christopher Macarthur-Boyd's first special since Oh No (2024). Released , on YouTube.

Recounting a brief abduction by a heroin addict and a medical warning of impending blindness, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd treats genuine personal misfortune like an administrative error. He leans into his own physical frailty with quiet confidence, balancing the punchy rhythm of Scottish club comedy against the anxious neuroses of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Filmed in November 2024 at the 1,500-seat Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow and released in 2025, the hour caught Macarthur-Boyd during an unmistakable surge in visibility. Between touring the stage show and launching the podcast Here Comes the Guillotine alongside Frankie Boyle and Susie McCabe, he moved from smaller rooms to headlining historic civic venues in his hometown. The special was directed by John McCormack.

He gets mileage out of being an unabashed Glaswegian who actually prefers Edinburgh, a mortifying set at a charity gig, and the strange indignities of lockdown. The material favors structured narrative turns and dry self-deprecation over generic observational complaints.

Notable bits & set list

5 bits

  1. Performing at a charity gig for the organization Freedom From Torture

    Recounts performing stand-up immediately after a charity representative delivered an agonizingly graphic 25-minute speech describing waterboarding and bamboo torture methods.

  2. Interacting with American tourists and understanding accents

    Explores American tourists searching for Scottish heritage and mispronouncing Scottish place names, contrasting it with Scottish slang.

  3. A distant cousin who moved to the United States

    Contrasts over-optimistic American family newsletters with Scottish culture, revealing why he feels licensed to make dark jokes about American gun violence.

  4. JK Rowling's cultural legacy versus Trainspotting in Edinburgh

    Compares tourist merchandising in Edinburgh, lamenting that Rowling's transphobia makes selling Trainspotting merchandise to children necessary instead.

  5. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    A proposal for ethical zoos closer

    Presents an unconventional comedic proposal for reforming zoos ethically.

How it plays

Tone
Wry, sarcastic, dark, melancholic yet playful.
On stage
Laid-back, self-deprecating, geeky, and endearing, leaning into his identity as a 'speccy' Glaswegian while maintaining complete stage control.
Pace
Fast-moving delivery disguised as relaxed, casual chat with disciplined momentum and sharp timing.
About
The decline of the British high street and shop closures, Differences and cultural rivalries between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Charity stand-up gigs, American tourists and US culture, JK Rowling, Harry Potter, and Trainspotting tourism, Self-perception, eyesight, and being 'speccy'

What the critics said

Critically praised across multiple reviews for smart, sharp observational writing, brilliant storytelling, seamless recalls, and an endearing blend of warmth and bleak sarcasm.

In the room: Enthusiastic and engaged crowd of over a thousand fans at the Pavilion Theatre, howling with laughter.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: offthekerb.com, christophermacarthurboyd.substack.com, medialib.net, chortle.co.uk, broadwayworld.com, entertainment-now.com, thereviewshub.com, comedy.co.uk.

Backstory

Conceived as an exploration of living in 'scary times' amid the decline of the high street, the collapse of public services, and the political climate in the UK; also framed personally following a major relationship breakup.

Details

Released
Taped
2024, Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow
Runtime
62 min
Where
YouTube
Director
John McCormack
Topics
Before
Oh No (2024)

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