After six years comedian Robin Ince has decided to kill off his annual "Christmas celebration for people who like to talk about science rather than God". But he is going out, appropriately, with a big bang. This lengthy run at the Bloomsbury features special guests, live music and last night, Never Mind The Buzzcocks star Phill Jupitus dressed as a panda.
Previous star turns have included philosophy graduate Ricky Gervais and physics buff Dara O’Briain. This time Lee Mack performed in front of a Charles Darwin backdrop but was more end-of-the-pier than origin-of-the-species, rattling out cracking if corny gags about Bristolian accents, his horror of walking holidays and the fact that “foible” sounds like something a New York cat might swallow.
The supporting cast was a mix of boffins and gagsmiths. Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy set the playful intellectual tone with a talk about the significance of prime numbers in football, while poet John Hegley underlined his knack for unlikely rhymes with “I’m a guillemot. I find the fishes tend to lose one-nil a lot”.
Alongside scientists Simon Singh and Andrew Steele there was a refreshingly high number of female comedians. Jo Neary sang a beautifully bawdy blues number backed by Steve Pretty’s band. Helen Keen showed pictures of modern robot designs, including a horribly buxom metal maid that makes tea.
Even when the science was perplexing it was still entertaining. Veteran stand-up Arnold Brown beautifully encapsulated the valedictory mix of irreverence and respect for knowledge when he said: “If there is anything you don’t understand, please regard it as significant.”
December 15-22, 020 3108 1000, thebloomsbury.com
