An enormous all-star cast will be joining host Robin Ince for this 24 hour celebration of science, comedy, music, art, poetry, experiments and more all in aid of some incredible charities.

New performers will be added all the time so do check back frequently!
(Performers are listed alphabetically)

Robin Ince
Writer • Comedian • Broadcaster

Robin Ince is the creator of the science variety night phenomenon that is Nine Lessons, Compendium and its many incarnations.  Often credited as one of the pioneers in the rise of science entertainment Robin might be best known for co-hosting the Rose D’Or winning The Infinite Monkey Cage with Professor Brian Cox. He is also an award winning stand up comedian, podcast and best selling author. He was made an Honorary Doctor of Science by Royal Holloway University.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Chris Addison
Writer • Comedian • Performer • Director

An Emmy and Director’s Guild of America Award winner for his roles as Executive Producer and Director on the HBO series Veep, Chris Addison is perhaps best known in the UK for his portrayal of Oliver Reeder in the much loved The Thick Of It. He is also an acclaimed stand up and writer and is currently working on series two of the sitcom series Breeders which he co-created with Simon Blackwell and Martin Freeman.
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Yianni Agisilaou
Comedian

Yianni is a stand up comedian who has toured headline shows across the UK and Australia. He is a regular at major festivals like the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe. His 2018 show, Pockets of Equality, was filmed for a TV special as part of the ABC’s Next Gen comedy series.
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Professor Jim Al-Khalili
Theoretical Physicist • Author • Broadcaster

Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE is a University of Surrey Distinguished Chair where he is also a personal chair in physics and a university chair in the Public Engagement in Science. He is the host of the much loved BBC Radio 4 series The Life Scientific, presenter of a number of BBC science documentaries as well as being the author of a large number of best selling popular science books and a science fiction novel. His latest book was recently shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Helen Arney
Musical Comedian • Science Presenter

You might best know Helen from her regular appearances on Outrageous Acts of Science on the Discovery Channel or as one third of Festival of the Spoken Nerd. She also presented the BBC Radio 4 series Did The Victorians Ruin The World and has performed everywhere from the Hammersmith Apollo to CERN.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Jimmy Barnes
Singer • Songwriter • Author

Jimmy Barnes is an icon of rock and roll. The Scottish-Australian performer has 17 number #1 albums to his name both solo and with his band Cold Chisel. This is the highest number of hit albums of any artist, from anywhere, in the Australian market. Many of his songs have become unofficial national anthems. He is also a best selling and award winning author, with his latest collection of stories, Killing Time, released this month.
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Ben Bailey Smith
Rapper • Comedian • Actor

Ben, perhaps better known as Doc Brown, originally made a name for himself as a rapper, performing his own shows and touring with Mark Ronson’s band as their MC for a number of years. Doc is also an accomplished stand-up comedian, mixing comedy and music and was a grand finalist for So You Think You’re Funny?, at the Edinburgh Festival in 2008. Ben has been seen on screen in acting and performing roles in everything from Taskmaster to Law and Order: UK.
Website

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Astrophysicist

Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell is an astrophysicist who, as a postgraduate student, discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967 which is regularly cited as “one of the most significant scientific achievements of the 20th century”. The discovery was awarded the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics, although controversially Bell was not one of the recipients of the prize. She has served as the President of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Institute of Physics. In 2018, she was awarded the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and decided to give the £2.3 million prize money to help female, minority, and refugee students.
Website
Pic: Royal Society

Marcus Brigstocke
Comedian • Writer • Actor

Marcus Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is a comedian, actor, and satirist whose work is well known across the spheres of stand-up, television and radio. He has also portrayed King Arthur in the West End production of Monty Python’s Spamalot, wrote the book God Collar and is currently learning the trumpet.
Website | Twitter

Dr Dean Burnett
Neuroscientist • Author • Podcaster

Dean is currently an honorary research associate at Cardiff Psychology School, as well as a Visiting Industry Fellow at Birmingham City University. He is the author of a number of best selling books including The Idiot Brain, The Happy Brain and Why Your Parents Are Driving You Up the Wall as well as the hugely popular Brain Yapping blog for the Cosmic Shambles Network (previously Brain Flapping for The Guardian). He also hosts the podcasts Brain Yapping and Smart Welsh People.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Professor Jon Butterworth
Particle Physicist • Author

Jon Butterworth is a Professor of Physics at University College London working on the ATLAS experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. He was part of the team involved in the discovery of the Higgs Boson. He wrote about this in his first book,  Smashing Physics. He is a blogger for The Cosmic Shambles Network and his second book A Map of the Invisible was recently released.
Website | Twitter 
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Donna Lynne Champlin
Actress

Donna Lynne is an award winning actress best known for her brilliant performance as Paula in Crazy Ex Girlfriend. Some of her other roles include performances in Downsizing, Birdman and Another Period. She is also an accomplished Broadway performer having taking the stages in such productions as Sweeney Todd and Billy Elliot and performed at the grand opening of the Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts.
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Sharon D Clarke
Actor • Singer

Sharon Clarke MBE is a Laurence Olivier Award nominee many times over, and a winner in 2019 for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Caroline, or Change on the West End. She has appeared in many much loved TV shows including as Grace O’Brien in Doctor Who and Lola Griffin in Holby City. She most recently finished a run in the West End of a revival of  Death of a Salesman, for which she earned another Olivier nomination.

Professor Matthew Cobb
Zoologist • Author

Matthew Cobb is a Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester. His studies involve olfaction, insect behaviour and the history of science. He has written a number of acclaimed popular science books on everything from genetics, to smell and his latest, the brain.
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Dave Coplin
Technologist • Author

For over 25 years, Dave has worked with or for the world’s largest technology companies, most recently as Microsoft’s “Chief Envisioning Officer”. These days he is CEO of The Envisioners, his own company dedicated to better envision the technological future for companies. He is although an author of a number of books including The Rise of the Humans.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Professor Brian Cox
Particle Physicist • Broadcaster • Author

Brian Cox OBE is a Professor of Particle Physics at The University of Manchester and The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science. From award winning BBC documentary series, to best selling books, to world arena tour with his The Infinite Monkey Cage co-host Robin Ince to mucking around with puppets and The Cosmic Shambles Network, he is also one of the most well loved and respected communicators of science in the world. He was also in D:Ream.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Samantha Cristoforetti
Astronaut • Author

Captain Samantha Cristoforetti holds the record for the longest uninterrupted spaceflight by a European astronaut (199 days, 16 hours) and was also the first Italian woman in space. She worked on board the International Space Station in 2014 and 2015 as a flight engineer. Her first book, Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut, was released in 2020.
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Pic: ESA

Dr Helen Czerski
Physicist • Broadcaster • Author

Helen Czerski is a bubble physicist and oceanographer at University College London. Her debut book Storm in a Teacup was a bestseller and she is a regular science presenter for the BBC, Fully Charged and The Cosmic Shambles Network where, aside from fronting a number of documentary series, she co-hosts the Science Shambles livestream and podcast with Robin Ince. She is also one of 2020’s Royal Institution Christmas Lecturers.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Professor Dan Davis
Immunologist • Author

Dan leads the Davis Lab at the University of Manchester where they work on furthering our understanding of the human immune system. He is also the author of two acclaimed and award winning popular science books on immunology, The Compatibility Gene and The Beautiful Cure.
Website
Twitter

Dr Michelle Dickinson
Nanotechnologist • Science Educator • Author

Dr Michelle Dickinson is a former senior lecturer in Chemical and Material Engineering at Auckland University but these days is best known as her alter-ego NanoGirl. The NanoGirl live shows for children are performed all around the world and are an institution in Michelle’s home of New Zealand. She is also the author of the international bestseller The Kitchen Science Cookbook.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

George Egg
Comedian • Anarchist Cook

George Egg is a stand-up comedian who cooks food live on stage using some unconventional methods and very unexpected equipment. Whether you’re stuck in a hotel room, or in the shed, or on the road, George has made a name for himself in coming up with inventive and hilarious ways to create tasty dishes from office equipment, gardening utensils and hotel supplies.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Singer • Songwriter

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a multi platinum selling international pop superstar. Some of her hits, including Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) and Murder on the Dancefloor are all time pop classics. During the Covid-19 lockdown her Kitchen Disco series was a means of virtual escapism for many, and became weekly moments of united sequined catharsis for the hundreds of thousands tuning in. Subsequently, her new album, Songs From the Kitchen Disco, has just been released.
Website | Twitter

Professor Pete Etchells
Psychologist • Author

Pete is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Bath and a video games researcher. He was a regular blogger on the topic for The Guardian and now write for The Cosmic Shambles Network. A former science consultant for Horizon, his first book, Lost in a Good Game was released last year.
Website
Twitter

Femi
Blues Performer

Femi is a blues singer and guitarist who plays the blues of the old African American deep roots. A firm believer that music is universal, Femi is walking proof. His ancestry is African, his musical education Italian, his home British and his music with distinct roots in America. His debut album, Femi’s Ragtime and Blues with harmonica player Marco Farris is out now.
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Dr Suzi Gage
Epidemiologist • Podcaster • Author

Dr. Suzi Gage is a psychologist and epidemiologist at the University of Liverpool, investigating associations between recreational drug use and mental health. In 2016 she began her award winning podcast Say Why to Drugs alongside Scroobius Pip. The podcast spurned a book of the same name, which is out now.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Dr Jamie Gallagher
Science Communicator • Chemist

These days Jamie is an award-winning engagement professional working across dozens of institutions and subject areas, particularly in the world of science communication. He is also a science communicator himself presenting shows around the world and has written a pop sci chemistry book. Jamie obtained his PhD in Chemistry and Electrical Engineering before becoming the University of Glasgow’s first central engagement lead.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Jamie Gallager

Gecko
Singer • Storyteller

Gecko is a London based artist and his playful lyrics cover the big things in life; think iPhones, Libraries & Guanabana fruit juice to name but a few. He has played at Glastonbury, Bestival, Latitude, the Edinburgh Fringe and beyond and shared stages with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Loyle Carner & Billy Bragg. His new album, Climbing Frame, has just been released.
WebsiteTwitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Charlie George
Comedian • Writer

Charlie is an award winning stand-up comedian and writer. She was the LGBTQ New Comedian of the Year in 2019, So You Think You’re Funny & Funny Women Awards runner up 2019 & Leicester Square New Comedian Award & Pride’s Got Talent finalist in 2018. A former circus performer and dancer, Charlie moved into stand up in 2018 and has since fast become one of the UK’s top new talents touring around the country.
Website | Twitter

Dr Ben Goldacre
Epidemiologist • Writer • Campaigner

Ben Goldacre is a doctor, author, academic and campaigner. His work focuses on uses and misuses of science and statistics. His book Bad Science was a huge bestseller and he has written many papers and reports on evidence based policy. Ben founded a successful global campaign for research transparency, and currently works as an academic in the University of Oxford, where he runs the EBMdataLab building live data tools to make science and medicine better.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Delta Goodrem
Singer • Songwriter

Delta Goodrem came into prominence with a role on Neighbours but has since gone on to become one of the highest selling Australian artists of all time with 17 Top 10 hits, four #1 albums, and over 9 million records sold worldwide. She has been a coach on the Australian edition of The Voice for the past nine seasons and in 2020 she launched the Delta Goodrem Foundation, in collaboration with St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney to help fund medical research in cellular therapy for blood cancers and auto-immune diseases.
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Professor Lucie Green
Solar Physicist • Broadcaster • Writer

Lucie is a Royal Society University Research Fellow based at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL’s Department of Space and Climate Physics, where she studies the Sun. She is currently involved with experiments as part of ESA’s Solar Orbitor mission. Lucie is also the author of the popular science book 15 Million Degrees and is a regular presenter for the BBC’s The Sky at Night as well as on The Cosmic Shambles Network. Her most recent series looked at the history of Space Shuttle Atlantis.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Zoe Griffiths
Mathematician • Maths Communicator

Zoe Griffiths is a mathematician and former maths teacher who now travels the UK, as well as internationally giving maths talks and workshops in schools, at science festivals and teacher conferences. She is a regular speaker at Maths Inspiration events. Along with Matt Parker she runs Think Maths, a series of interactive school workshops.
Website | Twitter

Dr Jen Gupta
Astrophysicist • Broadcaster • Science Communicator

Jen Gupta is an astrophysicist by training and is currently the Senior Public Engagement and Outreach Fellow in the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth. An extremely experienced science communicator and presenter, Jen regularly appears on TV and radio to talk about astronomy and science.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Colonel Chris Hadfield
Astronaut • Writer • Musician

Chris Hadfield is a former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot, engineer and retired astronaut. He was the first Canadian to walk in space having flown two Space Shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station. He is a best selling author, became a worldwide sensation for his David Bowie cover in space and is one of the best communicators of science alive today. He’s a regular at The Cosmic Shambles Network’s shows and co-hosted Space Shambles at the Royal Albert Hall with Robin Ince in 2018. 
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Professor Claudia Hammond
Psychology Lecturer • Author • Broadcaster

Claudia is the award winning host of the popular podcast BBC Radio 4 series All in the Mind. She is also the Visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Sussex and has published a number of popular science books on the mind, the latest being The Art of Rest released in 2019.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Dr Brenna Hassett
Bioarchaeologist • Dental Anthropologist • Writer

Brenna is a bioarchaeologist who is especially interested in studying child health in the past, and more than a little obsessed with teeth. She is the author of the acclaimed book Built On Bones and is one of the founding members of Trowelblazers which is a celebration of women archaeologists, palaeontologists and geologists. She also writes the Dirty Science blog for Cosmic Shambles.
Website | Twitter

Bec Hill
Comedian • Writer

Bec Hill is probably best known for her viral flipchart videos online which she’s also performed live all around the world and on TV with Jonathon Ross. She co-hosts the A Problem Squared podcast with Matt Parker, writes for various TV shows, voiced some characters in Mass Effect and in 2021 will front her own kid’s TV show, Makeaway Takeaway.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Dr Emma Hodcroft
Molecular epidemiologist

Emma is a researcher at the University of Basel where she was co-developer of Nextstrain. The majority of her past research was on the phylogenetics, molecular epidemiology, and simulation of HIV but in 2020 has been working full-time on SARS-CoV-2 with sequencing and tracking the virus.
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Rachel House
Actress

Rachel is one of the most admired actresses to ever come out of New Zealand. A frequent collaborator with Academy Award winner Taika Waititi she has appeared in four of his films, most notably Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok and served as an acting coach for the young cast of Jo Jo Rabbit. She’s also appeared in the acclaimed Whale Rider and in the new Netflix series Stateless with Cate Blanchett and Yvonne Strahovski.
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Joshua Idehen
Poet • Musician

Joshua Idehen is a poet, musician and founder of renowned poetry/music magazine Poejazzi. As a poet, he has performed at a huge number of major festivals and appeared in anthologies alongside Linton Kwesi Johnson. As a musician, he works in, and with, three bands: Benin City, HUGH and with electro dub outfit LV. 
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Eric Idle
Comedian • Writer • Musician • Python

New York Times best selling author, actor, musician, creator of Spamalot and, of course, founding member of Monty Python. Writing and performing Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by itself could enter Eric Idle into the comedy hall of fame, but accompanied with his incredible body of work with Python and beyond he is unquestionably one of the all time icons of comedy. 
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Pic: Eduardo Unda-Sanzana/CC BY SA 2.0

Professor Chris Jackson
Geologist • Broadcaster

Chris Jackson is a geologist and adventurer, who is currently a Professor at Imperial College London. Jackson’s research focuses on geodynamic, structural, and stratigraphic evolution of sedimentary basins. Chris can be regularly seen on TV presenting documentaries for the BBC and National Geographic. He is one of the Royal Institution’s 2020 Christmas Lecturers and the first black scientist ever invited to do so.
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Milton Jones
Comedian

Milton is one of the most popular comedians in the UK. He won the Perrier comedy award for Best Newcomer in 1996 and has also received a Sony Award for his work on radio. He is a regular on British TV on a variety on panel shows like Mock the Week and his huge UK tours are both critically acclaimed and sold out smashes.
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Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
Writer • Broadcaster • Science Communicator 

Karl Kruszelnicki is known the world over simply as Dr Karl. He is the public face of science in Australia and his weekly science radio shows are national institutions. Karl speaks all over the globe, writes for a number of publications and is the author of 45 books himself with more on the way. Karl is also the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow in the Science Foundation for Physics at the University of Sydney. In 2002 he won the prestigious Ig Nobel prize for his ground-breaking research into Belly Button Lint.
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Dr Suze Kundu
Nanochemist

Suze has a BSc in Chemistry, an MSc in Analytical Chemistry and a PhD in Materials Chemistry from University College London and after six years lecturing in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London and at the University of Surrey’s Chemical and Process Engineering Department, she is currently the Head of Public Engagement at Digital Science. You’ve also probably seen her speaking at various science festivals or on the Discovery Channel. She also writes for Forbes.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Steve Best

Eve Lindley
Actress

Eve Lindley is one of the breakout stars of 2020 on American television after winning rave reviews for her roles in hit shows like Mr. Robot and the AMC series Dispatches from Elsewhere. For the latter RoberEbert.com declared she “steals pretty much every scene she’s in” and Variety called her performance ‘extraordinary’.
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Professor Chris Lintott
Astronomer • Broadcaster • Author

Chris is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford. He is the co-founder of Galaxy Zoo and Zooniverse, an online crowdsourcing project where members of the public can volunteer their time to assist in classifying over a million galaxies. After first appearing on The Sky at Night in 2000, Chris has been the co-host of the show since 2012. He has written a number of books with Sir Patrick Moore and Brian May and his first solo book, The Crowd and the Cosmos was released in 2019.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Steve Best

Josie Long
Comedian • Writer • Broadcaster

Josie started performing as a stand-up at the age of 14 and won the BBC New Comedy Awards at 17. In 2006, she won the If.comeddies Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show three times. In between tours she presents the award winning radio show and podcast Short Cuts on the BBC and Book Shambles with Robin Ince. In 2018 she starred in, and wrote, her first feature film Super November.
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Rachel Long
Poet

Rachel is a poet and the founder of the Octavia Poetry Collective. Octavia is a poetry collective for womxn of colour founded in response to the lack of inclusivity and representation in literature and academia. Her debut solo collection of poems, My Darling From the Lions was released in 2020, short listed for the Forward Prize and described by Booker Prize winner Bernadine Evaristo as “an enchanting and heartwarming new voice in poetry.”
Website | Twitter
Pic: Amaal Said

Miranda Lowe
Natural History Museum Curator

Miranda is a Principal Curator and museum scientist at the Natural History Museum, London. Her scientific expertise is in peracarid crustacea with a light touch on coral taxonomy. She can be often heard and seen on various radio programmes, podcasts and television series from the BBC, The Cosmic Shambles Network and CBBC.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Lost Voice Guy
Comedian

Comedian Lee Ridley is best known to audiences in the UK as Lost Voice Guy. Disabled since his early life, he is the first standup comedian in Britain to use a communication aid in his routines. He rose to prominence in 2018 after winning the 12th series of Britain’s Got Talent and has since published a book and tours nationally to sell out audiences.
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Jessica McNamee
Actress

After making her name in the much loved Australian series Packed to the Rafters, Jess has gone on to star in international blockbuster films such as Battle of the Sexes, The Meg, Chips and I’m Just F*cking With You as well as a lead role in Denis Leary’s Sirens. She can currently be seen in the horror thriller Black Water: Abyss and next year she takes on the iconic role of Sonya Blade in the upcoming Mortal Kombat film.
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Dr Katie Mack
Theoretical Astrophysicist • Author

Katie studies a range of questions in cosmology, the study of the universe from beginning to end. She currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University, where she is also a member of the Leadership in Public Science Cluster. Alongside her academic research, she is an active science communicator and has been published in a number of popular publications such as Cosmos, where she is a columnist. Her first book, The End of Everything, was released in 2020.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Rama

Shaun Micallef
Writer • Performer

Shaun Micallef is one of the most critically acclaimed comedic minds to ever come out of Australia. He has written and fronted numerous award winning shows, most notably the satirical news show Mad as Hell which has just concluded its 12th season. He also acted in a number of films and plays and published a number of best selling books and collections of short stories.
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Steve Mould
Science Presenter

Steve is one third of Festival of the Spoken Nerd, a best selling author of science books for kids and one of the most popular science YouTubers. His YouTube video about self-siphoning beads caught the attention of academics who published a paper on the phenomena know known as ‘The Mould Effect’.
Website • Twitter

Pic: Natalie Shaw

Joanna Neary
Comedian • Writer

Joanna is a stand up and character comedian and actor you’ve heard and seen in too many things to mention. She co-writes and performs in the Wife on Earth podcast on The Cosmic Shambles Network and can, just recently, be seen on TV in Man Down, Miranda and The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. She was nominated for Best Newcomer Comedy Award at Edinburgh Fringe.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Matt Parker
Stand Up Mathematician • Author

Originally a maths teacher these days Matt is a stand up mathematician. Basically a stand up comedian who talks about maths. He has performed all over the world and is a number one best selling maths author to boot. His YouTube channel boasts millions upon millions of views as he tackles mathematical problems by hiring helicopters and flying sinks around the world. He is one third of Festival of the Spoken Nerd and once lowered a pie out the ceiling of the Royal Albert Hall as part of Space Shambles.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Rachel Parris
Comedian • Actor

Rachel is a BAFTA Nominated comedian, musician, actor and improviser, best know for her viral segments on BBC2’s The Mash Report. She has appeared on too many TV shows to mention including Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, QI and Would I Lie To You? Her solo shows have won critical acclaim across the UK and she is a a founding member of the award-winning improv comedy smash hit Austentatious.
Website | Twitter

Guy Pearce
Actor

Guy Pearce is a multi award winning, Golden Globe nominated actor. He has had major roles in some of the biggest and most critically acclaimed films of the last thirty years including Memento, LA Confidential, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Mildred Pierce and Jack Irish. This past Christmas he also played Scrooge in the BBC’s new A Christmas Carol mini series.
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Penfriend
Singer • Songwriter

Penfriend is the stage name of multi-instrumentalist singer, songwriter Laura Kidd. Under the former guise of She Makes War she has toured and played all around the world including at the Royal Albert Hall as part of Space Shambles. Her current Penfriend project includes a podcast, correspondents club and new music.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Anna Phoebe
Violinist

Anna is a violinist and composer on cross-genre collaborative projects, working across science, space, poetry, dance, film and art. She has toured the world as a solo artists as well as playing with acts such as Roxy Music and Jethro Tull. Her Beyond Worlds project is a long term project using music to explore science, space, art and poetry in conjunction with institutions such as ESA.
Website

Steve Pretty
Composer • Musician

Steve has been part of the Shambles gang forever. He has been musical director for our shows at the Royal Albert Hall and too many Nine Lessons and Compendium shows to count. He is also one of the founders of the acclaimed Hackney Colliery Band who have played all around the world including at the London 2012 Closing Ceremony. He plays trumpet and composes for film and TV and has a solo show and podcast about the history of music called The Origin of the Pieces.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Kiri Pritchard-McLean
Comedian

Kiri is a critically acclaimed comedian who has appeared on numerous television shows such as Have I Got News for You and Hypothetical. She is also the co-host of the very popular podcast All Killa No Filla. She is a multiple Chortle Awards winner including Best Compere for the last three years running.
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Professor Alice Roberts
Anthropologist • Author • Broadcaster

Alice has wrote and presented some of the most popular science programmes ever to air on the BBC. These include The Incredible Human JourneyOrigins of Us and five series of Digging for Britain. She is also a best selling author, medical doctor and Professor of Public Engagement with Science at the University of Birmingham. As an academic she is interested in the structure of humans, how we function, and our place in the wider environment.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

John Luke-Roberts
Comedian • Actor • Writer

John-Luke is professionally silly. He has created 6 solo shows for the Edinburgh Fringe between 2010 and 2018 which have all been critically acclaimed with Soho Theatre transfers. He has written for numerous panel shows and his sitcom Bull, co-written with Gareth Gwynn, aired on UKTV Gold and starred Robert Lindsay and Maureen Lipman. He is also the the co-founder of hugely successful Alternative Comedy Memorial Society, which he hosts.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Steve Best

Nitin Sawhney
Musician

Nitin Sawhney is one of the most distinctive and versatile musical voices around today. Apart from his many award winning solo projects and albums Nitin has also performed and collaborated with everyone from Paul McCartney and Jeff Beck to Nelson Mandela and Cirque De Soleil. He is one the world’s great live performers with his music often described as transcending cultural barriers.
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Scarlet Oak Theatre
Puppetry Performers

Scarlet Oak Theatre is made up of Jasmine Orchard and Lucia d’Inverno. The two are performers and puppeteers and their children’s show The Zoo That Comes To You was supposed to be touring in 2020 with The Cosmic Shambles Network before the pandemic struck. The show follows the impassioned attempts of two animal enthusiasts to share their love and concern of animal conservation with the world. 
Website | Twitter
Pic: Steve Best

Rusty Schweickart
Apollo Astronaut • Engineer

Rusty Schweickart was the Lunar Module pilot on the Apollo 9 mission which was the first crewed flight test of the lunar module in 1969. He also performed the first in-space test of the portable life support system used by the Apollo astronauts who walked on the Moon. He has also served as assistant for science and technology to the Governor of California and co-founded the B612 Foundation, dedicated to defending Earth from asteroid impacts.
Website
Pic: Steve Best

Bobby Seagull
Mathematician • Teacher • Writer

Bobby is a school maths teacher and an ambassador for the charity National Numeracy. He is also a regular contributor to Radio Four’s Puzzle For Today and a columnist for the Financial Times. He is the author of  The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers and co-presenter of the podcast Maths Appeal. You’ve also probably seen Bobby on the BBC co-presenting the series Monkman & Seagull’s Genius Guide to Britain
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Professor Andrea Sella
Chemist

It wouldn’t be a Nine Lessons or Compendium without Andrea Sella but the risk assessment paperwork is much easier when he’s doing experiments at home. Andrea is a Professor Chemistry at University College London where his current research deals with the synthesis and study of layered carbonitrides and their exfoliation.
Website • Twitter

Dr Helen Sharman
Astronaut • Chemist • Writer

Helen Sharman OBE was the first Briton in space when, in May 1991, she launched on a Soyuz spacecraft to spend eight days orbiting the Earth, most of that time on the Mir Space Station. These days Helen works full-time at the Department of Chemistry, Imperial College, London and she speaks regularly about her space experiences. She has also written two books.
Website

Reece Shearsmith
Actor • Writer

Reece Shearsmith is BAFTA, British Comedy Award and Rose D’Or winning and Olivier Award nominated writer and performer responsible for some of the most well loved and critically acclaimed TV series if British television history. Co-creator of The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville and Inside No.9, Reece has also acted in a huge number of other projects on screen and stage including Good Omens, The Dresser, Spaced and A Field in England.
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Pic: Natalie Shaw

Dr Simon Singh
Science Writer

Simon is an author and journalist specialising in science and mathematics. He has written a number of bestselling books including Big Bang, The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets and Fermat’s Last Theorem which formed the basis of a BAFTA winning documentary produced by Simon. He is heavily involved in maths education and is chairman of the Good Thinking Society.
Website | Twitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Ginny Smith
Science Communicator • Presenter • Writer

Ginny is a science writer and presenter. A Natural Sciences graduate of Cambridge, she specialised in Psychology and now much of her work deals with the brain. She is a former presenter for the Naked Scientists and has presented a number of TV shows for Cambridge TV and online series for The Cosmic Shambles Network where she also writes a regular blog. She has co-authored a number of books for DK and her first solo book, about neurotransmitters, releases in 2021.
WebsiteTwitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Kiell Smith-Bynoe
Actor

Kiell is one of the best up and coming comedy performers in the UK right now. He plays Mike, one of the lead characters in the hit BBC sitcom Ghosts, and Dean, in the multi BAFTA winning sitcom Stath Lets Flats. He can also be seen in Enterprice, Friday Night Dinner and a wide variety of other top British comedies.
Twitter

Isy Suttie
Comedian • Actor • Writer

Isy Suttie is an award-winning comedian, writer, songwriter and actress. Her TV acting credits include Peep Show, Shameless, Whites and Skins. She regularly performs to live audiences and on radio, including her Sony Award-winning BBC Radio 4 series Isy Suttie’s Love Letters, and has been nominated for a British Comedy Award three times. She is the author of The Actual One.
 Twitter

Keisha Thompson
Poet • Singer • Songwriter • Writer

Last year Keisha toured her award-winning solo show Man on the Moon: A Journey Through Space and Time, Fuelled by Love, Fear and Afro-Futurism and released her debut book Lunar. This year she is working on a new show, The Bell Curves, which will explore the human implications of CRISPR-Cas 9 gene-hacking technology. Under the name of SheBeKeke, Keisha released Ephemera, an album turning her poems into songs.
WebsiteTwitter

Tanita Tikaram
Singer • Songwriter

Tanita is a Brit nominated singer-songwriter whose debut album sold over 4 million copies worldwide and spawned the hit singles Twist in My Sobriety and Good Tradition. The compilation album To Drink the Rainbow was released in 2018 and charted her incredible success over 30 years in music. Her song World Outside My Window has been taken into space by numerous astronauts including Helen Sharman and Samantha Cristoforetti.
WebsiteTwitter
Pic: Natalie Shaw

Mark Watson
Comedian • Author

Let’s be honest, you can’t do a 24 hour show without Mark Watson. Mark is the undisputed king of the marathon show having performed multiple 24 hour comedy shows both in the UK and Australia. He is an internationally acclaimed stand up and best selling novelist. He has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows including Taskmaster, Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls and Mock the Week. He currently is part of No More Jockeys, a hit online game show with Alex Horne and Tim Key.
Website | Twitter

Dr Rebecca Wragg-Sykes
Palaeolithic archaeologist • Author

Becky is one of the founding members of Trowelblazers and the author of the acclaimed book Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art. Her doctoral thesis in 2010, was the first synthesis of evidence for late Neanderthals in Britain. She is currently based at the Université de Bordeaux as part of PACEA: De la Préhistoire à l’Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologi.
WebsiteTwitter

YVA
Musician • Artist

Formerly Eva Stone, YVA arrived in 2019. Her early work was described by The Guardian as “…breathtakingly beautiful music full of sorrow, soul and heartache.” Her debut single, I Won’t Wait, has just been released.
Website • Twitter
Pic: Ian West

Zahara
Singer • Songwriter 

Zahara is a multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter and one of the biggest selling artists in her home of South Africa. Discovering her love of singing in the school choir, in 2011 she released her debut album which raced up the charts in no time. Aside from her stellar career in music she has also used her platform to speak out about violence against women in South Africa.

Helen Zaltzman
Broadcaster • Writer

Helen is the creator, producer and presenter of a number of iconic and groundbreaking podcasts including Answer Me This! and The Allusionist. She is also a regular on BBC radio and other podcasts including 99% Invisible and The Bugle as well as writing for radio and various newspapers.
WebsiteTwitter

About the Show

LONG MAY IT CONTINUE TO BRIGHTEN OUR BLEAK MIDWINTER WITH THE LIGHT OF REASON AND SILLINESS.” The Guardian

Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People is Robin Ince’s ground-breaking creation, the original variety night mashing up science, comedy, music and more. Born 15 years ago, this much-loved end of year tradition plays annually to sold out live audiences but in 2020 COVID-19 has raised its ugly pandemic head. And so with the live shows unable to go ahead in their usual form, the team behind the shows at The Cosmic Shambles Network were determined to come up with a marvellously unique alternative…
 
We’ve decided to cram every little bit of creativity and curiosity from all those cancelled events into one phenomenal 24 hour + live show! Robin Ince will be there to host this blockbuster of a show for the full 24 hours and audiences will be able to watch live either online from the comfort of their own home or in limited, socially-distanced numbers at King’s Place itself (government guidance permitting). There’ll be plenty of ways for you to be involved to with interactive experiments, citizen science projects, a family hour and competitions as Robin will be joined by a variety of live in person co-hosts mixed with a vast array of incredible guests joining virtually. Expect to see Brian Cox, Helen Czerski, Josie Long, Chris Hadfield, Helen Sharman, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Jim Al-Khalili, Sharon D Clarke, Guy Pearce, Tanita Tikaram, Chris Jackson, Rachel Parris, Ben Goldacre, Rachel Long and many, many more.

And don’t worry, it’ll still probably overrun…
 
Whilst the livestream will be free to watch we will be encouraging donations to cover the costs of the production and all profits will be split between our chosen charities this year, Doctors Without Borders, Turn2Us, Mind: For Better Mental Health and the Kings Place Music Trust. You can donate now at crowdfunder.co.uk/ninelessons. More information on this is below.
 
Read about last year’s show here.
 
 
 
Crowdfunder Info

Each year all these shows alone sell thousands and thousands of tickets. That means we’re able to raise a whole bunch of money for our chosen charities each year. With so very few tickets able to be sold for 2020, we don’t want the charities to miss out. So given all 24+ hours will be free to stream from home, why not buy a ‘ticket’ here so we’re still able to help out some places doing incredible work in a difficult time.

Also ticket sales mean we’re able to cover the costs it takes to put these shows on each and every year. Costs that include the lighting techs, AV operators, sound engineers and front of house staff. People who have seen a year with basically no income themselves. 

The Cosmic Shambles Network itself, who produces Nine Lessons each year, and co-produces Compendium with Phil McIntyre Entertainments, receives no funding other than that from the support of our Patreon subscribers and other events throughout the year. We gladly produce these particular shows each year without taking any fee for ourselves, with everything else going to charity. Now, this is usually not a problem as we’ve had a year’s worth of shows and tours behind us by the time we hit December. But 2020 is a little different. This year we have done one live show, back in February, and have had to cancel well over a 100. 

So if you want to help out the Shambles team as well as our chosen charities for this year, you can do that here. And get yourself a few rewards for doing so as well too. And then, once we’ve covered all costs, everything else will go to the charities. It’s a win-win. 

We’ve produced 100s of hours of livestreams this year, and almost all of those have gone out for free (as will this 24 hour show) tallying millions of views and downloads all without funding other than that from our incredible and wonderful Patreon supporters. So if you have a spare quid, or perhaps you’d like to spend what you would’ve normally on a ticket, that will help pay for our server costs, the team and copious amounts of caffeine required for this 24 hour show. So, if you can, we’d sure be grateful. And remember, what’s left over goes straight towards helping some incredible charities.

Donate to the Crowdfunder and help support the amazing work of this year’s charities here.

COVID-19 Information and Safety Protocols

Read about Kings Place’s superb safety measures and protocols for live performances here – https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/your-visit/our-safety-measures/

In the event that we are no longer allowed to have any live audience present, the show will still go ahead as an online event only. In that instance you can find out about the ticket refund information here – https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/your-visit/ticketing-policy/

If you have tickets to the original version of Nine Lessons you should have already been contacted by Kings Place about transferring or donating tickets, or obtaining a refund. If not you can contact the box office at info@kingsplace.co.uk

Details about our “other” London live Christmas show coming soon.

Learn About This Year's Charities

All profits from this event will be split between our four chosen charities for 2020.

Turn2us – www.turn2us.org.uk
Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through their partner organisations. Anyone can be a missed pay-cheque, illness or bereavement away from a real financial crisis, which is why they can help find the support people need to get back on track. During the pandemic they have seen a huge surge in requests for their services.

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders – www.msf.org.uk
Doctors Without Borders medical teams act fast to save people’s lives in conflict zones, natural disasters and epidemics. They go where they are needed most. Also, their emergency teams are experts at fighting disease outbreaks. With your support, they can help save the lives of people battling COVID-19.

Mind: For Better Mental Health – https://www.mind.org.uk/
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Mind built and launched their coronavirus information hub. This hub has received over 1.4 million views since its launch in March and their new information resources for children and young people have been viewed over 420,000 times. Their Infoline and Legal Line have remained operational throughout the pandemic and responded to over 35,000 calls, texts, and chats, and the numbers of new people signing up to Elefriends has increased from over 122,000 accounts in March to over 132,000 in June.

Kings Place Music Foundation – https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/about-us/support-us/

Kings Place us a self-funded venue and independent arts charity, that relies on ticket sales and conference hires to survive. As well as nurturing an ecosystem of artistic partnerships to create an exciting programme, they offer up spaces to music education charities at weekends, host schools concerts and subsidise events for young children and families. The Music Base is shared with ensembles and arts charities doing important work. Rooted in collaboration, KPMF shares all donated tickets with artists.

 

Nine Lessons and Carols for Socially Distanced People is curated and produced by Trent Burton, Robin Ince & Melinda Burton
In association with the amazing team at Kings Place lead by Zoë Jeyes

PLEASE NOTE: In the event of unforeseen circumstances each night’s lineup is subject to change without notice.