UNIVERSITY NEWS
The STEAM Room Science Comedy Experience is BACK and BIGGER than ever!
Macquarie University Alumni shine in a science comedy collaboration that’s getting steamier by the minute.
Last year The STEAM Room challenged 7 intrepid scientists, including Macquarie University’s Professor Michelle Power, to perform scientific stand-up comedy for the first time as part of Sydney Comedy Festival. Following sold out performances at Factory Theatre and The Comedy Store, and invitations to perform at Australian Museum: Jurassic Lounge and Splendour in the Grass 2022, The STEAM Room returns with 10 new scientists ready to take the plunge!
Check out 2022′s article Standing up for Science here.
Macquarie University will once again be represented on both sides of the equation as MQ Academic Ruby Stephens from the School of Natural Sciences prepares to deliver an ecology-themed stand up comedy set on the Enmore Theatre main stage!
She will be supported by fellow Macquarie University Alum Tom Stevenson, who produces and hosts the show and trains the scientists with his partner Ru Halwala as part of comedy duo/production house Scary Strangers, in collaboration with Science Communication trailblazer Luke Steller who founded the program.
National Treasure Dr Karl is back with a new act to headline the night, supported by astrophysicist TikTok sensation Kirsten Banks, drag queen scientist Diva Attenbra, and some of Australia’s best scientists and comedians! Psychedelics, nuclear meltdowns, forensic mishaps and much more, the STEAM Room 2023 promises to be an electrifying gala extravaganza of science and comedy at the iconic Enmore Theatre!
Australia’s brightest scientific minds are turning their research and lived-experiences into comedy for your enjoyment – we even have an Ass. Pro! What’s that? You’ll have to come to the STEAM Room to find out. It’s a completely new science comedy experience!
HEADLINERS: Doctor Karl and Kirsten Banks
SCIENTISTS:
Diva Attenbra – UNSW
Dr Tara Djokic – UNSW
Dr Scott Chadwick – UTS
Dr Sam Banister – PSYLO
Pritam Bordhan – UTS
Dr Linda Mitchell – Tyre Stewardship Australia
Ruby Stephens – Macquarie University
Ass. Pro. Stephen Woodcock – UTS
Luke Steller – UNSW and Praxical co-founder
COMEDIANS: Bec Melrose (RAW Comedy Winner 2018), Suren Jayemanne, Carolyn Swindell, and Scary Strangers aka Ru Halwala & Tom Stevenson (MC’s)
And the good news keeps on coming, because this year The STEAM Room will also be touring! We will be performing at Melbourne International Comedy Festival on April 18th & 19th and at Brisbane Comedy Festival on May 11th! Strap in Australia, 2023 is going to be STEAMY!
The 2022 STEAM Room season was so in demand it sold out its debut performance at Factory Theatre, then sold out its encore performance at The Comedy Store, and was invited to perform at Australian Museum and Splendour in the Grass! 2023 promises to be even bigger and better! Tickets range from $34.90 to $54.90 and are available here.
But WHY are all these scientists learning stand-up comedy?!
For anyone who’s sat through dry science classes in high school, it’s clear that scientists have a lot of room to improve when it comes to captivating a crowd. PhD researcher Luke Steller was on a mission to make science fun when he attended a comedy show and noticed how comedians are experts at capturing an audience’s attention. Partnering with his pals, comedic duo Scary Strangers (aka Ru Halwala and Tom Stevenson), the STEAM Room is here to train scientists in comedy, empowering them to share their crucial work with the world. In a time where understanding the impacts of science can be a matter of life or death, The STEAM Room is here to decode scientific concepts through the magic of comedy.
Learn more about the STEAM Room by checking out Science Fiction (ABC Radio National) featuring the STEAM Room’s 2022 showcase: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sciencefriction/the-steam-room-science-experiment/13911744
For more information about The STEAM Room program visit www.steamroomcomedy.com.au and follow @scarystrangers and @praxicalproject on Instagram to keep up to date with everything in the lead up to the event.
The STEAM Room is made possible with the generous support from Inspire NSW and the Big Questions Institute, and is jointly produced by Praxical and Scary Strangers. Line up is subject to change, and will differ from show to show. See ticketing for more details.
Links:
Ticketek: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=STEASYD23
The Steam Room Website: www.steamroomcomedy.com.au
Instagram pages:
@scarystrangers: https://www.instagram.com/scarystrangers/?hl=en
@praxicalproject: https://www.instagram.com/praxicalproject/?hl=en
The STEAM Room Photographer: Ryan Leaney
The STEAM Room Artwork Ruvani Halwala