THE Big Yin will be in the house next week – and it's fingers crossed that he's still there at the end.

Billy Connolly's stint at Plymouth Pavilions on Wednesday and Thursday next week is part of his first UK tour for five years and hasn't always gone smoothly.

The funniest man in the world has twice failed to see the joke – if there was one – when heckled on the road.

He walked off stage, finishing the show early, twice in one week.

On one occasion Connolly apparently took exception to patrons who had made good use of the bar and the toilets during the show.

He evidently didn't reply to one heckler on the night but took preemptive action later in the tour, ensuring that the bar shut half an hour before the gig started.

As for the output from the stage, reviews have been excellent.

For those wondering why Connolly can't handle some verbals when raucous banter with the paying customer is an everyday occurrence on the club circuit should know that he surely can – but chooses not to.

He told the BBC in one interview that there is a difference between a concert venue and a club.

"There's an element of manners that should tell you that the ticket is dear and it's a different venue," he said. "People have had a bath to come here, so sit down, shut up and listen!"

Scrub up, then, and shut up too if you haven't got something worth sharing – and want to be certain of a full night out.

The shows are both sold out