forms of hard edge geometric abstraction, non-objective abstraction, painterly abstraction, and metaphorical abstraction. From loose gestural mark making to obsessive detail-oriented work, from minimalist to maximal, from quiet to raucous and intense, the idea of range and variation is a central theme.

Cary Smith has long been interested in mashing seemingly differing entities together to try to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Similar to the cassette mixed tapes he often made for friends in the 70s and 80s, which often combined wildly disparate sorts of music, abruptly shifting from track to track. As a painter himself, he continues the practice to this day, by painting numerous sorts of seemingly unrelated works simultaneously. Like in many works by Van Gogh or Picasso, SmithFrankie Boyle's New World Order is returning for a second series on BBC Two.

The comic will be trying out material for the show at the Leicester Square Theatre in April.

The news comes after Friday's round-up of 2017 special, with Boyle tweeting that: ' Next year you will finally start living your best life and it won’t be very good.'

Boyle has now made five episodes of New World Order, following the success of his similar Autopsy shows on the BBC's iPlayer, featuring Katherine Ryan and Sara Pascoe, as well as appearances from Miles Jupp, Nish Kumar and Romesh Ranganathan.

The first episode attracted 713,000 viewers to BBC Two – but it was one of the most popular programmes on iPlayer with almost 550,000 requests for that episode alone.

- by Jay