LIDo does Science Showoff!

Abbie Rogan - University College London (Alic Lab)

I took part in the LIDo Science ShowOff because it stood out to me as a unique way to gain presentation and public engagement skills that are transferable whilst challenging me to step out of my comfort zone through trying something new. The workshop run by Dr Steve Cross before the show was incredibly valuable and a fabulous way to introduce us to comedy: the process of generating ideas, various devices to use whilst telling a story and how to flesh out these thoughts with details. Through this I learnt a lot about how my own creative process works and struggled with writing a script. The weeks leading up to the performance became filled with me creating voice-notes of vaguely funny stories but it still felt forced. I therefore created a skeleton like structure of the flow of ideas and decided to improvise the exact wording.

On the day of the show we got together to practice – this was a great chance to perform, receive critique and laughter on what we had prepared. It also gave us an opportunity to give feedback to others which helped to reassure and instil confidence in our sets. The show itself was a delight, I really enjoyed being on stage and afterwards hearing that people enjoyed it and thought we were especially brave was lovely too. Overall, a rewarding experience that I will hopefully be repeating but for now I will use what I have learnt and apply it to future presentations as well as a great anecdote for networking (yes, now I won’t stop talking about it!)

Lewis Tanner - University College London (Thomas Lab)

Science and the process of making it can be hard to communicate at the best of times and comedy stand up at first glance appears like an unlikely bedfellow.

People have told me in the past that I was a funny guy, and genuinely meant it...I think. With that qualification under my belt it seemed an opportunity not to be missed to join Dr Steve Cross and the LIDo does comedy roadshow and improve my presentation skills in one of the potentially scariest settings. After an afternoon of expert training (where we analysed popular comedians and talked through interesting events in our lives) it quickly became apparent that the average PhD is a comedy goldmine to those with a trained eye and unusual subject matter.

Cue two weeks of mounting excitement and terror in equal measure where we had to define and refine our own set. Discussions of initial concept ideas with other LIDo students helped to quickly rule out anything that may not have stuck in the audience’s imagination and gave some focus to a subject that many Londoners’ feel passionate about... pollution. With some concepts in mind much of the material was then drafted on public transport where I could soak up the London atmosphere first hand. Once a basic set was refined some of the unlucky participants found conference rooms around university very useful for practice.

The night at Bloomsbury theatre was a storming success and a highlight of the process (we had time to rehearse without going in blind). A few “umms” and miss-remembered set items didn’t stand in the way of a great delivery by all, some very memorable jokes and very importantly a free bar. Whether this will help directly convey my own research in a comedy styling is yet to be seen but it has certainly boosted my confidence presenting. With any luck, I may grace a microphone again not too long on the future.

Elisa Clemente, University College London (Browne Lab)

I met Steve (Dr Steve Cross) at a LIDo careers event and when I heard about what he does I was intrigued but didn't really think it was for me. "I'm not 'funny' enough, I can't just stand in front of a crowd and tell jokes...!". But I decided to give it a try - and I don't regret it one bit. On a personal level, this experience was extremely rewarding in many different ways. First of all, I realised that I actually don't mind that much standing in front of a crowd - or maybe I used to, but after having to stand there, lights blinding you, microphone in hand, expectant crowd, hoping you'll make them laugh, I don't anymore. For a PhD student, who is expected to present their work pretty much all the time, being comfortable with public speaking is obviously extremely beneficial. Also, making comedy about your PhD struggles can be surprisingly cathartic. Finally, this can be a great way of doing some networking with people interested in science communication (something I'm very interested in) in a more relaxed, interesting way.

On top of that, I actually really enjoyed the experience of learning about how to write comedy. The training workshop Steve gave us was amazing, and he was incredibly supportive throughout the whole process, from writing the script, to the performance itself.

This is yet another opportunity which I know I wouldn't have had if I weren't on this PhD programme, which makes me so grateful for being part of it. As I said, it was a great experience, and I will definitely be doing more soon!

Noemi Gyori, University College London (Alexander Lab)

Taking part in the LIDo stand-up comedy show was great fun. Steve is very personable and gave us lots of good advice on how to do comedy. During the
initial workshop, we did several exercises that got us to think about how to present awkward or even infuriating situations in a funny and relatable way. Although writing my own comedy script was initially a daunting prospect, the workshop gave me ideas on where to start. Steve was also very helpful in the writing process and gave good tips on how to make jokes punchy and easy to deliver.

The day of the live show was a bit terrifying. I spent much of the morning mumbling my script to myself and finding a pen with which I could write on my arm. The rehearsal with Steve and the comments from my fellow performers were useful though, and helped calm those nerves at least a bit. Right before the show I was nonetheless extremely nervous, but it all payed off in the end. The audience seemed to have a good time and all in all I think the show was a success. People actually laughed at my jokes. It was amazing.