I am a Monkey Uncaged (supporting cast)

So, this is where I’ll be for most of May: touring with the Uncaged Monkeys

With (clockwise from top left) Simon Singh, Robin Ince, Ben Goldacre and Brian Cox.

I’m performing at all 15 shows, yes, even the Hammersmith Apollo one. I’ll be singing songs about science and wearing pretty dresses. It’s going to be nice. Especially because I get to see these four on the left do their awesome thing every night of the week.

And it’s going to be EVERYWHERE, like, well, not EVERYWHERE but in lots of places like Glasgow and Cardiff and Newcastle and the like. So my parents might actually make the effort to come and see it but “only if it’s got that nice young space Professor in it too”

You can see all the dates and follow links to tickets here

Comments

4 responses to “I am a Monkey Uncaged (supporting cast)”

January 26, 2011

Ian Partridge

Awesome. We already have Basingstoke tickets – it’ll be even better now you’re on the bill!

Reply
May 8, 2011

melina

I saw you at the Nottingham one. Great Job! 🙂

Reply
November 5, 2012

Louisa Radice

Did you not feel a tad marginalised, degraded even? There were you two token women, reduced to being decorative and singing songs about liking Countdown and fancying male colleagues, while the male stars of Uncaged Monkeys got to present some real science. Combine that with Dara O’Brien’s gratuitous descriptions of his wife’s childbirth experiences and I was left with a distinctly misogynistic impression.

Reply
1. November 19, 2012
  
  Helen
  
  Hi Louisa, thanks for commenting.
  
  I’m sad that you consider my work as decorative. On my most hopeful days, I like to think that I added something to the bill that wasn’t offered by the other guests – a different angle on the same subjects, a creative spin, a scratch under the surface of “SCIENCE” to find the human stories underneath. Even on my worst days I hope I’m capable of being entertaining for a few short minutes. I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy what I did as one part of the larger show.
  
  I loved every moment of the Uncaged Monkeys tour. It was a privilege to be asked to do it, especially as a new comedian with none of the public profile of other guest performers. It’s not a surprise that I was singing rather than presenting my area of research, because I am not a scientist, I’m a physics graduate turned musical comedian. I love science and I love to work with scientists and create comedy around the subject, but I’m sadly not a scientist.
  
  There are hundreds – no – thousands – of brilliant female scientists who talk eloquently about their work in public. I spend a lot of my time cheerleading for them, booking them for my own events, telling people how great they are when I’m asked for speaker suggestions, and volunteering my time to produce events like Ada Lovelace Day. I prefer to use my energy positively in these ways and more, in the hope that soon there will be enough high profile and well-loved female scientists/presenters with huge popular support from the public – rivalling the star status of Robin, Brian, Ben and Simon.
  
  I’m sad that you still feel think strongly about an event that was 12 or 18 months ago – I can’t work out which leg of the tour you came to.
  
  But I hope you might be inspired to take positive action – do you have a local science festival or university or cafe scientifique? tell them that what you want is more events with female speakers! they *do* listen to their audiences, when their audiences take the trouble to get in touch!
  
  And please do let me know that you have seen this reply, I’ve thought long and hard before writing it in the hope of engaging positively with your comment. I’d be sorry to think that you just posted a comment with no hope of a reply.
  
  All best,
  
  helen
  
  Reply