The
Groggy
Squirrel

Ben McKenzie (no relation to Adam or Richard, which is a shame, or the guy from The OC, which isn't) is an actor, improviser, comedian and science communicator. Having previously trained in speech and drama with ASCA and Trinity College London, Ben launched his performance career when he came to Melbourne from NSW in 1997, appearing in many student productions including the 1999 Melbourne University Comedy Revue alongside Lawrence Leung and Yianni. Ben is a veteran of seven Melbourne Fringe Festivals and many short films, working with such luminaries as La Mama, Impressaria and Theatre in Decay. In 2004 he launched his "Man in the Lab Coat" persona and comedy lecture series with "Listen to the Man in the Lab Coat", directed by Linda Catalano. 2005's "Evolutionary" toured to Adelaide in 2006 to highly positive reviews, and "Science-ology" debuted at the 2006 Melbourne Fringe. Ben has also performed for schoolchildren, academics and actual scientists, including appearances as Albert Einstein for the UN's 2005 International Year of Physics. Since May 2006 he has also performed improvisational comedy with Melbourne group The Crew, appearing regularly in Australia's longest-running weekly impro show, Impro Sundae, and their Comedy Festival shows Instant Order: Trial by Audience and Instant Musical Odyssey (as part of Dan Walmsley's Triple Trouble).