FORBIDDEN chuckles echoed around the theatre as a scintillating Jimmy Carr scandalised his audience in Bournemouth last night.

The acid-tongued comic offended just about every group of society imaginable during his show at the BIC - and from the belly-laughing reaction of his fans, it is fair to say that is exactly why they love him.

Nothing was out of bounds - from cracks about Oscar Pistorius to mocking religion and some near-the-knuckle stories about stomach-churning personal exploits - this was not a gig for the easily outraged.

"I am an equal opportunities offender," he explained. "I have comedy Tourettes."

Shock is the name of the game for Carr and he certainly didn't disappoint - expertly rattling off a string of conscience-challenging gags in that matter-of-fact style he has made his own.

A master of the quick-fire put-down, he cordially invited hecklers to do their worst and responded to each in predictably scathing fashion.

Poor old Steve, a secondary school teacher who piped up about Carr's fondness for jokes about mothers, was the butt of withering carping for the rest of the evening.

A dental nurse was derided for 'not being a real nurse' and an events management undergraduate accused of 'not doing a real degree'.

Obvious and unsubtle? Yes. But the condescending coolness of his delivery always makes it work.

He was though left a little flummoxed by the brilliant Roger, an apparently baffled heckler hidden in the depths of the back rows, who won over the audience with a series of Karl Pilkington-esque observations.

Audience participation formed a major part of the performance and there was a decadent 'anything goes' atmosphere that left you wondering what could possibly come next.

But the 8 Out of 10 Cats host did manage to carefully pre-empt any potential digs about his tax affairs - which famously found him criticised by the Prime Minister in 2012 - with a series of self-deprecating jokes.

He also found time to back his scandal-hit buddy Jeremy Clarkson in a rare semi-serious moment, declaring that the Top Gear presenter should not lose his job over an alleged 'fracas' with a producer.

A routine accompanied with cartoon sketches followed, adding a vividness to his trademark cutting humour and keeping a long set fresh and interesting.

On top form, Carr was polished, fearlessly tasteless and proved yet again he is one of the finest comedians of his generation.