Brendon Burns In F**K You I'm Brendon F**king Burns (Again) Part IV

With its histrionic tone and stunning theatrical coup de gras, 2007s So I Suppose This Is Offensive Now? more than deserved its lion's share of plaudits. The show was, for all its bluster, an intelligent exploration of brainless acquiescence to casual racism crafted firmly in the vein of Sacha Baron Cohen's finest. The question of how to follow such an artistic achievement is one that Burns has addressed with characteristic understatement: a crowd-pleasing set of flying frogs, sword-fighting Amazonians and a well-used Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.

Clad in his ludicrous Conan The Barbarian garb against the setting of the austere Assembly Rooms, the comic cuts a curious figure. As the title suggests, 2008 marks a departure from any kind of overt deeper meaning for Burns. This show, he says, is for his fans. Demonstrably aware of the pitfalls in such a path, Burns explores the theme of artistic laziness, showering the audience with much evidence of his wry intelligence and command of irony along the way. However, this is not to imply subtlety. His vociferous delivery seems even more pronounced than usual, and his choice of subject matter provokes more than a few gasps of disbelief.

While this show undoubtedly lacks the impact of its predecessor, there is no doubt that Fuck You I'm Brendon Fucking Burns is a brilliantly funny sixty minutes of comedy that is very smartly written. Indeed, in the very foundations of the show, Burns presents us with the paradox of whether we are expected to appreciate the timeworn format, or snicker at the gentle satire on his own excessive artistic license. The question of whether Burns is indulging himself or the audience is never quite answered and, most probably, this is precisely his intention.