Tag: Melbourne

Day of the Daffodils

For me, carnivorous plants fall into the same category as dinosaurs, muppets and the concept of Doctor Who – if you don’t find them wondrous, I’m not sure I can trust you. I hadn’t thought about carnivorous plants recently, what with my brain full of the , but the redoubtable Paul Riddell, ex-writer and essayist and creator of the fondly missed Esoteric Science Resource Centre, has finally opened a web site for his business devoted to these little beasties: the Texas Triffid Ranch, a nursery for “carnivorous, prehistoric, and otherwise exotic plants”.

Besides which, Daffodil Day – a fund-raiser for the excellent Cancer Council (which as a kid I always called the “Anti-Cancer Council“, which is either an organisation who like to make it clear they’re not in favour of cancer, or a rival group who oppose the altruistic deeds of the real one) is coming soon. Every year on Daffodil Day the city fills with tiny, Triffid-like flowers, their bell-shaped mouths leering at me from every corner, watching, waiting… I can’t help but imagine that the plants will soon eat us all. Read more

The Man returns for National Science Week!

Ben McKenzie, the Man in the Lab Coat, makes two appearances in August for National Science Week!

First, he returns to Melbourne Museum for Not the Nobel Prize on Friday, August 22. Following on from last year’s hit show, Ben will join fellow a panel of fellow comedians as they pit their wits against actual scientists to sort science fact from science fiction.

And, from August 22 to 24, Ben launches a new show, A Brief History of A Brief History of Time, at the Royal Society of Victoria. He’ll prove you don’t need 12 degrees to understand Stephen Hawking’s great unread classic, A Brief History of Time.

Check out the show page for more details, and visit the National Science Week web site to see what else is happening in Melbourne and all round Australia.

Not the Nobel Prize!

It’s been a while, I know; the web site is undergoing a redesign behind the scenes, which is why things have been a bit quiet there. But I had to let you know about an upcoming gig at the Melbourne Museum for Science Week!

Yes, science week is only a week away, and on Friday, August 24, the Museum celebrates in uniquely Melbourne style with “Not the Nobel Prize”. Four scientists will present their theories – but only two of them are presenting real science! A panel of comedians, consisting of Tommy Dean, Claire Hooper, Sue-Ann Post and yours truly, will have to figure out which is which.

Personally, I think I have an unfair advantage…

Tickets are $12/$10, and the show kicks off at 7pm. You need to book, and the number to call is 13 11 02. There’s an unconfirmed second show at 9pm on the same evening, which likely will depend on numbers.

For more info, check out the Museum’s web site or head to the Comedy Festival site’s gig guide.

And don’t forget, there are still a few more weeks of the Channel 31 programming featuring me! You can catch Planet Nerd on Thursdays at 10pm, and TheatreGames LIVE on Fridays at 10pm.

Until next week, keep your Ockham’s razor nice and sharp!

Planet Nerd

This is a heads up to those of you in Melbourne that this Thursday, June 7, is the premiere of Planet Nerd, a new variety show hosted by Dan Walmsley covering everything geeky, nerdy and interesting – and featuring me! It’s true – geek is chic, nerd is the new cool, and you can dive right in to a whole geeky universe of fun with Planet Nerd! The first episode features one man’s tale of anguish over the iPhone, the Weekly Whedon with Simon Barber, and the real deal with roleplaying conventions in a documentary presented by yours truly, Ben McKenzie, kickin’ it live on location.

Planet Nerd screens at 10pm on Thursdays from June 7 to August 30 on Channel 31 in Melbourne. If you’re not in Melbourne, you can still get a taste by hitting the Planet Nerd web site at http://planetnerd.tv and checking out some of the clips we’ve posted on the Interweb.

Hope you all had a lovely World Environment Day on Tuesday – I spent mine at CERES 25th birthday!

Leeeeeeeeeet’s get ready to improoooooo!

Yes, it’s that time of year again, when The Crew celebrate their birthday in style. This Sunday, we commemorate six years of weekly impro comedy – the longest run in Australia – with the annual Impro Rumble! The best of the best comedy improvisers will battle it out for their honour and your entertainment, right there on the stage!

Who will take home the (non-existent) title belt? Will it be last year’s defending champion, Janelle Koenig? (The bookies reckon she can.) Or perhaps the Man himself, yours truly? (Unlikely, but fun to think about.) Come cheer on your favourite in this free spectacular event!

Where: The Comics Lounge, 26 Errol St, North Melbourne
When: 5:30pm, this Sunday the 27th of May.
How Much: Free!