• This Sunday I'm hosting an amazing show on the actual Cutty Sark!
• Keynoting at a Chemistry Conference in Birmingham next week... 
• ...and doing a Chemistry Lesson at Robin Ince's "Nine Lessons".
• Unnecessary Detail is back, and for ages 12+ at Bloomsbury Theatre.
• A Podcast Of Unnecessary Detail first episodes recording now. 
• Spoken Nerd DVDs are half price for teachers and educators.

 

If you're free this Sunday - 27th October - get yourself on board the Cutty Sark for a very special night I'm curating and hosting. Not one, not two, not three, but SIX HELENS (plus two token non-Helens) are scheduled to appear in a single show full of science, stories and sea-faring adventure. Helen of Troy's face may have launched a thousand ships, but this line-up should be able to launch at least a small satellite into space, and raise lots of cash to restore the famous tea clipper's figurehead, Nannie The Witch. 

 

Did I mention it's on the actual Cutty Sark, currently docked in Greenwich? Plus you can do a virtual reality dive into a Mediterranean shipwreck in the interval. And if your name is Helen you get £1 off tickets. 

 

Next Thursday 31st October, I'm performing the keynote show at Lab Innovations at Birmingham NEC. If you're heading there (like all the cool Innovating Lab kids are nowadays) come and say hello! My show is 1-1.45pm and I'll be signing books afterwards. 

 

On Wednesday 13th November I'm bringing a periodic table of puns to a special edition of Pun Run hosted by Bec Hill, just off Oxford Street. It's nearly sold out so don't dilly dally.

 

And if you're at the first of Robin Ince's annual holiday shindigs, known as "Nine Lessons And Carols For Curious People" on Thursday 12th December, make sure you wave during the brief period I'll be on stage, and I'll try to wave back. 

 

 

January to June's monthly shows will be on sale next Tuesday, so check back on the Spoken Nerd website or follow my twitter, facebook or instagram for updates - links below.

 

 

 

 

I didn't know I needed one, and then I wrote one, and now life will never be the same again.

 

A chunk of my summer was taken up with a new play commission, written for the Lost Lectures and performed at the Natural History Museum as part of the epic EMERGE Festival in September. 

 

I was incredibly lucky to work with biologist Natalie Cooper at the Museum, and phenomenal actress Janina Smith (pictured) who helped me turn a ragtag bag of ideas about ducks, moths and evolution into a full-on Disco dance party, complete with motivational Zumba giraffe. It was an absolute blast.

We'd love to put it on again some time. So if you know any science festivals, arts festivals or theatres who like quirky, interactive and intelligent theatre, reply to this email and we'll take it from there.