Stand-up comedy science at the Edinburgh Fringe
From shy researcher to Fringe artist
I am not a natural stand-up comedian by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a passion for public engagement, so the opportunity to talk in front of a real Fringe audience about my research was very tempting. Without thinking too much about the reality, I boldly submitted a proposal to perform as part of the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas – and before I knew it, I was signed up for the bootcamp and there was no going back. After some online training and a hands-on practice for stagecraft at The Stand Comedy Club on Queen Street (holding a microphone correctly isn’t as easy as it might look!) I was ready to go… but still quite terrified.
What is the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas?
The Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas (CoDI) has been running for 10 years now and it seems to be a winning formula. In partnership with Universities across Edinburgh, The Stand Comedy Club and FairPley, CoDI matches academics who are willing to talk about a potentially contentious aspect of their research with a real life stand-up comedian – the brilliant Susan Morrison.
I am a clinical academic dermatologist and my research is focussed on understanding genetic skin disease, particularly atopic eczema. I love chatting with patients and over the years I have even become quite comfortable talking in front of large academic audiences, but the Fringe is clearly very different.
This is where the magic of CoDI kicks in. There is a dedicated team of people who have a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and advice; but for me the main strength came from comedian Susan Morrison. Susan is a master communicator and to see her in action was inspirational. She is extremely quick-thinking and able to make almost anything funny, whilst also being kind, thoughtful and humane. Standing beside Susan on the stage meant the show was going to be good! But it also meant that if anything went wrong, she would be there to help out.
Planning and advertising
The group of 26 academics preparing for CoDI were encouraged to plan our talks carefully and advertise shamelessly! The self-promotion is not easy for anyone (I am told) but it was heart-warming to see how many of my friends, colleagues and complete strangers purchased tickets for my two shows.
As a CoDI first-timer I was paired with a very knowledgeable, experienced and reassuring mentor – Professor Antonella Sorace – who taught me a lot about bilingualism as well as CoDI. I planned in my show to talk about skin science and the importance of this sometimes overlooked organ of the human body, with the ‘dangerous idea’ that skin is the most important part of any person – it keeps you alive but does so much more.
Show-time!
Both days of my shows were nerve-wracking but exhilarating. The New Town Theatre is a venue with the true buzz of the Fringe. And to perform on stage beside a stand-up comedian, with a very engaged audience, was a truly unique experience. After speaking for 15-20 minutes, the audience is invited to ask any questions they wish for the remaining 30-40 minutes. This unscripted interchange was carefully supervised by Susan who was ready to step in if needed to lighten the tone, move along the discussion or help us out of any hole. I found it spontaneous, unpredictable and enjoyable. Questions varied from theories about the causes of eczema and light-hearted banter to quite personal skin issues.
The ups…
The genuine interest of the audience was brilliant (they had, after all, paid for a ticket to be there!). And I learnt a huge amount, including where to stand on a platform, how to avoid getting tangled with the mic cable, audience awareness and how to deal with those extremely bright lights. I will always treasure my ‘Artist’ ID which is a backstage pass for The Stand.
The downside…
CoDI is not for the faint-hearted and on many occasions in the run-up to my two Fringe events I felt genuine fear and sincerely wished that I had never expressed an interest. Advertising to gain an audience was challenging and time-consuming, though we received excellent support and advice on how to do this. Audiences were down across the Festival and Fringe for multiple reasons this year, and I worried I could be performing to a half-empty room (thankfully this did not occur).
Reflections
With the benefit of hindsight, I am very proud to have been a CoDI performer. It is a thrilling way to bring research to a new and wider audience. I have received a lot of positive feedback – of which Susan’s is particularly valued – so I may even be brave enough to try again next year…
Want to get involved?
If you are inspired to become a CoDI performer you can get in touch here and look out for the call for CoDI 2023 which will open in November 2022.
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