What time does your brain wake up? Do you think you could cope with physics jokes and dissertations on Heisenberg at lunchtime? If you think you’re tough enough to conceive the true immensity of the universe in the middle of the day, then this is the perfect show for you. Just get there early as it took two days before I managed to join the queue early enough (it’s only 80 seats).
The show is compered by Robin Ince, comedian and science nerd who read from some of his favourite science essays about how amazing the universe is and also from a few Victorian books that have a slightly different view of reality. When asked how many of the audience consider themselves scientists, at least half raised their hands, and I think the rest of us were a bit geeky at the least. Mind you, there was a Peter Andre joke that most people got, so not total geeks.
Robin then introduces a series of special guests, which change every day. Today we had Yianni doing a segment from his show about the Big Bang and the space time continuum, John-Luke Roberts who did a few quick jokes after apologising for not being sciency enough, and finally Helen Arney and her ukulele playing a couple of delightful ditties for the mathematicians.
So in conclusion this was a very enjoyable and intellectual hour of comedy, music and entertainment for the price of a donation, and all before lunchtime. The full house were having a good time and one person almost did a little heckle, possibly forgetting it wasn’t a lecture. Go and give your brain a workout, so you can spend the rest of the day without it in the pubs and clubs.
Visit the Edinburgh Fringe website for booking details