Through the figure of Punch, Burlesque explores themes of identity and the roles imposed on us through circumstance and conditioning. The figure of Punch stands as an icon, the 'paradigm and picture of the age', challenging conventions of how and what we see and feel. The second part examines the way creativity shapes our view of ourselves, the masks we wear, often unconsciously, and how we strive to come to terms with the human condition. Wry humour and irony in the face of suffering and mortality are threads, as well as moments of compassion.