I’ve been a fan of Billy Connolly’s for a long time. It’s the way he strings what seem to be totally unrelated anecdotes into intertwined narratives, the controlled ‘rambling’ nature of each interjection, and the depth of scene he creates. Add to this the Scottish flair and colourful language, and you have the exact recipe for a sore abdomen the next day from laughing uncontrollably.

When I found out that Billy was going to be doing a tour in Toronto at the end of 2015, I just about bought a ticket to fly over from London to see him. Thankfully, Billy came to me. I finally managed to get to see him live on the opening night of his High Horse tour on the 7^th of January at the Eventim Apollo.

For those who have been living under a rock, or aren’t as huge a fan as I am, you may not know that Mr. Connolly was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and prostate cancer in 2013. On the same day, if what he said last night is accurate.

He did not shy away from this fact, and it was a core part of his opening act. It was also acutely clear in his mannerisms (which he also made some great jokes about). Having watched a lot of his earlier shows, he’s always been extremely animated, running from place to place and jumping about. Due to his condition, this is not really an option anymore.

But that in no way detracts from the hilarity that Billy brings to the room. He was in excellent story-telling form, keeping the audience of nearly 3,700 in stitches for the entire two-hour set. His recollections, anecdotes and recreations were fantastic, vivid, and as colourful as ever.

I believe that going into detail about the show would be unfair and would lessen the first-hand experience – but rest assured, if you’ve got a ticket or are hoping to get one, you’ll have an extraordinary time with one of comedy’s best.