Thomas J. Redant

Topic

Post-Comedy, Performer/Audience Dynamics, and Escapism

School of Music

Date & location

• Monday, August 24, 2026

• 10:00 A.M.

• Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Joesph Salem, School of Music, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Patrick Boyle, School of Music, UVic (Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Lily Hirsch, Book Review Editor, Journal of Musicological Research 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Adam Murray, Department of English, UVic

   

Abstract

Do you remember COVID-19? Not the sickness, but the zeitgeist during which many withdrew into their homes for safety. It can be difficult to define a period when it is still incredibly recent, but the analysis of artistic works produced during that time can aid in developing a cultural snapshot. 

This thesis examines subliminal and overt themes in Bo Burnham’s 2021 comedy special Inside. Using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, I have identified three dominant themes in the musical comedy work: post-comedy, performer/audience dynamics, and escapism. Post-comedy is a genre label designating a work as a specific combination of comedic and dramatic techniques. Netflix markets Inside as a comedy special and it begins as such, but as it progresses it becomes more tonally ambiguous. While scholar Zoe Barclay (2023) first identified Inside as a post-comedy, I provide deeper rationale for the application of the label. Performer/audience dynamics refer to how the elements of performer, audience, and their shared relationships come together to reflect a specific setting and how they may change due to various stimuli. Burnham’s lack of an audience prompts an experimental approach to the dynamic: he simulates the audience’s presence. Burnham and his simulated audience transgress the traditional roles of performer and audience distorting the performer/audience dynamic. Escapism involves attempting to avoid inevitable events by seeking preferential alternatives. While Burnham rarely references the world outside Inside, he represents COVID-19 pandemic living situations in the special’s hermitic setting. Burnham frames his work as an attempt to distract himself from the outside world, but the strategy’s potency declines as the special progresses, prompting an approach reminiscent of absurdism. 

My research provides an example of reflexive thematic analysis applied to a piece of musical theatre. My ensuing investigation of the resultant themes provides insight into what resonated with audiences coping with large-scale societal trauma.