GUIDANCE: Video contains strong language and adult themes right from the start.
As written in our review of the Pleasance Press Launch, the first act Bo Burnham seemed inordinately talented for someone still only 19 years old, and somebody bound to make an impression during his run at the Fringe - though how much was at that moment uncertain.
Reviewer Michael MacLennan wrote at the time: “An immediate highlight was showcased in the unassuming youthful shape of Bo Burnham, the erudite singer-songwriter still in his teens – really? Really????? – and reminiscent of Ben Folds with his spritely piano skills and sharp lyricism.
“He then progressed onwards and upwards to some stand-up to deflect any accusations that his use of music is gimmicky, invoking the teachings of Socrates and work of Dali as he brought out the belly laughs in a decidedly off-kilter and intelligent manner.”
Michael had even more impressive words for his review of Burnham’s full show, which started: “Do you know when you see something so comprehensively brilliant and perfectly formed that you’re unsure whether it’s even real or not?”
He added: “If you’re lucky enough to get a ticket for his show in Edinburgh this month, you’re catching a glimpse of a future phenomenon. Born in the 90s, his grasp on comedy is already masterful enough that he can already ably dissect failings of the form as performed by others, his thoughts sharp enough that they’re like a cynical seasoned veteran’s injected directly with an unblemished youthful vitality.”
FOR MORE BO BURNHAM
- Interview: Bo Burnham talks to STV about the Edinburgh Fringe and his career
- Read our review of Bo Burnham's much talked-about show at this year's Edinburgh Fringe
Though by the end the writer was out of hyperbole, it turned out that he was far from the only critic dazzled by the brilliance of Bo, with many tumbling over themselves to define the comedian with a definitive quote. Though the comedian has had considerable success on the internet since being 16, and is in the process or writing a musical for influential Hollywood director Judd Apatow, his show in Edinburgh seems to have brought him to the attention of an even wider audience.
In a gushing five-star review for The List, Brian Donaldson commented: “Not sure if anyone is calling him the Orson Welles of stand-up comedy, but why not start here? A note to the Foster’s comedy judges: cancel your meetings, parcel up the Best Newcomer gong, attach it to the main prize, post it to Bo and let’s all just go home, OK?”
In another five-star review, this one for The Independent, Julian Hall started: “He may look like the older brother of Justin Bieber, but don't let the youth and fragility of the 19 year-old American comedian Bo Burnham fool you. This is his "United States of Whatever" and he has come to kick some serious comedy butt.”
Brian Logan also chimed in for The Guardian and wrote: “This is a prodigiously assured Fringe debut, an hour of blistering lyrical virtuosity and teen attitude. Burnham is like Holden Caulfield played by Tim Minchin, and the only flaw in his set is that you may not laugh so much as find yourself punch-drunk on its brilliance.”
Meanwhile, Jay Richardson wrote for The Scotsman: “The American has been performing for his family in one capacity or other since he was three, but that scarcely accounts for the 19-year-old's mastery and subversion of so many comic styles, showcasing such a rich imagination, all rendered in a knowing, superior sneer of artistic endeavour that's nevertheless undercut by avowed suspicion of his vocation and a discernible vulnerable streak.”
Chortle noted in its review: “His background may lie in musical comedy, but he easily proves he’s just as inventive off keyboard. Acapella raps are layered with gags upon gags, innuendo is delivered in pun-riddled pentameter and he can coin aphorisms that will have the editors of books of quotations reaching for their overtime forms. Occasionally he has to take his foot off the genius pedal to give us time to appreciate the dense wit he fires out, yet still you have to concentrate to catch every throwaway line.”
The nominations for the Fosters Comedy Awards are not yet out, but it seems inconceivable that he shouldn’t be one of the contenders for the main award, never mind Best Newcomer. It may just be the Words, Words, Words of a 19 year old, but those who have seen Bo Burnham in Edinburgh this month know that they’ve witnessed something very special indeed.
Bo Burnham is performing Words, Words, Words from August 4-30 at 9.35pm at the Pleasance Dome.
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