Bo’s back. And he’s better than ever. Fast-paced, shocking, ingenious and hilarious, Bo Burnham’s show, What, lets you glimpse every inch of Bo’s extensive talent as a comedian and a performer. More polished, more varied and more daring than we’ve seen him before, Burnham utilises poetry, subversive observational comedy, physical comedy, recorded tracks and of course his famous live song performances to create a show with intelligence and creativity, and perpetual hilarity.
Burnham has managed to fuse the musical, the theatrical and the comedic into an experience that has you constantly surprised and entertained. Many parts of the show could easily be described as sketches, for example the song about the discord between his left side brain and right side brain is announced by a recorded sci-fi-like track which sets up the song and concludes it - like a complete scene. Equally his onstage persona, broken only occasionally to wish sincere and humble thanks to the audience, is incredibly well-acted and enthralling - self-deprecating, arrogant, aggressive, camp, charming, nervous, swaggering, dark and intelligent, there is never a dull moment.
This is certainly Burnham’s most elaborate show to date. Impressive lighting and recorded tracks a-plenty are used with dexterity and ingenuity, without falling into the trap of being gimmicky or overused. In addition, Burnham refuses to play it safe by relying on re-used material or overemployment of his YouTube classics (though a portion of the familiar remains) but instead reaches far and wide for his content, from pop culture to his personal life to fantastical stories, whilst keeping a sense of flow and continuity. But never fear- whilst the material and style may be increasingly experimental, the hallmarks of a great Bo Burnham performance remain: sparklingly inventive lyricism, extensive vocabulary and masterful wordplay, catchy and subversive songs and a dark, razor-sharp intellect.
Bo Burnham’s What is a show carefully crafted without a superfluous moment, every second has purpose and entertainment pulsating in it, and the result is utterly captivating, laugh-a-minute magic. Do whatever you can to get a ticket, it is absolutely unmissable.
