COMEDIAN, actor, activist, writer and new dad Russell Brand reflects on rhetoric, ribaldry and the responsibilities and challenges of fatherhood on his Re:Birth live tour.

Preceded by what can only be described as a super-cut of sensationalist headlines and critical media clips, hilariously juxtaposed against a 1950s' educational film on pregnancy, Brand made an entrance that was both audacious and ridiculous.

The joke is definitely on Brand himself as he talks candidly about the absurdities of drug addiction, recovery and relationships. He also shows a great talent for improvisation, using an audience survey as a jumping-off point for some very entertaining interactions.

As amusing as the first half is, however, it’s the second half where Brand truly shines. In dissecting both his own media persona and the pundits’ responses to it in a nearly violently self-deprecating manner, he takes an almost perverse pleasure in mocking his past self.

He delights in diagramming his own - admittedly well-meaning - ignorance, but it also serves a greater purpose. By contrasting his previous boorish behaviour with his newfound perspective, and his role as a parent, he manages to make some genuinely interesting and introspective observations, closing out the show on a note that is both funny and thought-provoking.

Re:Birth is a savage satire of Russell Brand as his own worst enemy, riffing on his own self-image while also looking optimistically towards a brighter tomorrow, but not without an enjoyable diversion into simple, puerile fun.