Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People is a Christmas stage show celebrating a view of science. It was first run in 2008 at the Bloomsbury Theatre and re-run as The Return of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People in 2009, then televised on BBC Four as Nerdstock: 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People.
It was initially organised by the Rationalist Association and the journal New Humanist. It is now produced by Trunkman Productions and is part of The Cosmic Shambles Network and in 2018 changed titles to become Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People.[1]
The 2009 show was performed at the Bloomsbury Theatre from 15 to 19 December 2009, and at the Hammersmith Apollo on 20 December 2009. The Apollo show was also broadcast in part on BBC Four, produced by Kaye Godleman. Part of proceeds go to Mustard Seed secular school in Uganda.
The show returned for a third year in 2010 at the Bloomsbury Theatre. An audio recording of the show was produced by Go Faster Stripe during 15 December 2010 show.[4]
2011: Nine Lessons...
The show returned in 2011 and ran at London's Bloomsbury Theatre for six nights from 18 to 23 December.[5]
The line up included Robin Ince (host) with Josie Long, Martin White, Helen Arney, Richard Herring and Matt Parker. They were joined by the following additional acts:[6]
Robin Ince announced on Twitter in June 2012 that the show would return to London's Bloomsbury Theatre from 16 to 22 December 2012, with an additional show at the Hammersmith Apollo on 23 December.[7]
In July 2013 Robin Ince announced a ten date run of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People.[9][10] All ten dates featured: Robin Ince, Joanna Neary, George Egg, Josie Long (with the exception of the 11th), Grace Petrie and Steve Pretty's Origin of the Pieces. They were joined by:
10th: Matt Parker, Jonny & the Baptists, Helen Arney, Alex Horne, Mitch Benn, Emperor Yes, Suzi Gage 11th: Arnold Brown, Lee Mack, Marcus du Sautoy, John Hegley, Jonny & the Baptists, Matt Parker, Helen Keen 15th: Pappy's, Darren Hayman, Scroobius Pip, Matt Parker, Alexei Sayle, Norman Lovett, Gavin Osborn, Lucie Green, Aoife McLysagt 16th: Helen Czerski, Darren Hayman, Scroobius Pip, Jonny & the Baptists, Steve Mould, Gavin Osborn, Aoife McLysagt 17th: Mark Watson, Helen Czerski, Simon Watt, Steve Mould, Gavin Osborn, MJ Hibbett, Rich Herring 18th: Helen Czerski, Jim al Khalili, Steve Mould, Gavin Osborn, Rich Herring, John Lloyd, John Luke Roberts, Tim Harford 19th: Howard Read, Nick Doody, Helen Arney, Phil Jeays, Jim Al Khalili, Gavin Osborn, Francisco Diego, Andy White, MJ Hibbett, Milton Jones 20th: Howard Read, Nick Doody, Helen Arney, Phil Jeays, Shappi Khorsandi, Chris Neill, Richard Herring, Markus Birdman 21st: Howard Read, Sophie Scott, Phil Jeays, Mitch Benn, Sara Pascoe, Helen Keen, Ian Stone, Steve Backshall, Bridget Christie 22nd: Howard Read, Sophie Scott, Phil Jeays, Mitch Benn, Sara Pascoe, Stuart Black, Tiff Stephenson, Helen Keen, Ian Stone, Chris Neill, Marcus Brigstocke
2014: Robin Ince's Christmas Science Ghosts
Ince changed the formula of the normal Nine Lessons format with five nights of "comedy, music, nonsense (and quite possibly Judge Dredd)" in 2014 with five nights of science and comedy with the theme of A Christmas Carol.[11][12]
The line-up for those days featured:
15 December – The Ghost of Christmas Past – a night of comedy, music and little lectures on the last 4000 years of civilisation. With Tony Law, Natalie Haynes, Joanna Neary, Josie Long, Mary Beard, Steve Pretty's Origin of the Pieces orchestra, George Egg, Grace Petrie and Baba Brinkman.
16 & 17 December – The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. Professor Steve Jones, Stewart Lee, Professor Jon Butterworth, Joanne Neary, Ben Goldacre, Josie Long, Robin Ince, Steve Pretty's Origin of the Pieces band, Lewis Dartnell, Vessels, Helen Arney, Matt Parker, George Egg, Grace Petrie, Helen Keen, Scroobius Pip, Michael Conterio, Sara Pascoe, Fran Scott, Baba Brinkman.
20 & 21 December – The Ghost of Christmas Present. Josie Long, Joanna Neary, Ben Goldacre, Stewart Lee, Steve Pretty's Origin of the Pieces orchestra, Helen Arney, Matt Parker, Steve Aylett, Matthew Cobb, Robin Ince, Helen Czerski, George Egg, Grace Petrie, Scroobius Pip, Sara Pascoe, Baba Brinkman.
2017: Nine Lessons...
On 14 September 2017, Robin Ince announced that the show would return after a four-year hiatus at Conway Hall in Holborn for four nights (16, 19, 20 and 22 December).[13]
Each night compered by Robin Ince and featuring the following guest performers on these dates:
The show changed its title for the 2018 edition and took place at Kings Place in central London for four nights (14, 15, 29 and 20 December).[14]
Each night was MC'd by Robin Ince and featured the following guest performers on these dates:
14th: Dr Hannah Fry, Dr Adam Rutherford, Ginny Smith, Dallas Campbell, Rautio Piano Trio, Gecko, Dr Brenna Hassett, Matt Watson, Ben Moor, Dr Hannah Critchlow, Jo Neary, Philip Ball, Dr Andrew Steele, George Egg, Dunja Lavrova, Will Bartlett. 15th: Prof Chris Lintott, Prof Suzanne Imber, Femi & Marco, Dr Hannah Fry, Dr Adam Rutherford, She Makes War, Dr Dean Burnett, Dr Suzi Gage, Octavia Poetry Collective, Steve Pretty, Miranda Lowe, Jim Moray, Jo Neary, Prof Sophie Scott, George Egg, Dr Richard Vranch, Will Bartlett, Alice Pratley. 19th: Josie Long, Prof Lucie Green, Dr Ben Goldacre, Matt Parker, Grace Petrie, Seb Lee-Delisle, Joshua Idehen, Prof Monica Grady, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, Jonny and the Baptists, Dr Cheryl Patrick, Zoe Griffiths, Prof Mark Miodownik, Helen Arney, Bec Hill, Spencer Kelly, Dunja Lavrova, Will Bartlett. 20th: Dr Helen Czerski, Prof Lucie Green, Matt Parker, Grace Petrie, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, Ronnie Le Drew, Zippy, Dr Lucy Rogers, Prof Jon Butterworth, Dr Jennifer Rogers, Jonny Berliner, Tiernan Douieb, Chris Stokes, Simon Watt, Dr Katie Steckles, Peter Buckley Hill, Helen Zaltzman, Martin Austwick, Dunja Lavrova, Will Bartlett.
29th: Dr Helen Czerski, Prof Matthew Cobb, Matt Parker, Prof Jeff Forshaw, Prof Lucie Green, Prof Dan Davis, Smitten, Prof Nav Kapur, Dr Katie Steckles, Dr Laura Tisdall, Matt Watson
30th: Prof Tim O’Brien, Dr Helen Czerski, Dr Suzi Gage, Prof Lucie Green, Matt Parker, Jim Moray, Keisha Thompson, Jasmine Kennedy, Foxdog Studios, Prof Sheena Cruickshank, Michael Marshall, Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan, Prof Jen Rogers
December
12th: Dr Simon Singh, Prof Lucie Green, Matt Parker, Helen Arney, Ginny Smith, Seb Lee Delisle, Jo Neary, Joshua Idehen, Dr Susie Maidment, James Nokise, Prof Andrea Sella, Steve Pretty, Matt Stellingwerf, Dave Coplin, Dr Andrew Steele, Dr Linda Cremonesi, Matt Watson
13th: Liz Bonnin, Dr Helen Czerski, Prof Lucie Green, Prof Claudia Hammond, Matt Parker, Dr Dean Burnett, Femi & Marco, Dr Becky Smethurst, Jo Neary, Prof Andrea Sella, Prof Chris Jackson, Natalie Haynes, 1201_Alarm, Chris Stokes, Gecko, Dr Michelle Dickinson, Reece Shearsmith
15th: Bec Hill, Konnie Huq, Steve Mould, Dr Michelle Dickinson, Dr Dean Burnett, Ginny Smith, Dr Jackie Bell
19th: Josie Long, Prof Jim Al-Khalili, Prof Jon Butterworth, Dr Brenna Hassett, Jonny & The Baptists, George Egg, Ariane Sherine, Steve Mould, Michael Legge, Anna Ploszajski, Dr Jess Wade, Dr Jen Gupta, Dr Pete Etchells, Jonny Berliner, Vijay Shah, Colour Me Wednesday, Zoe Griffiths
21st: Prof Chris Lintott, Dr Helen Czerski, Josie Long, Dr Lucy Rogers, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, Angela Saini, Bec Hill, Nikesh Shukla, George Egg, She Makes War, Steve Pretty, Jonny and the Baptists, Eugénie von Tunzelmann, Miranda Lowe, Dr Suzi Gage, Dr Jenny Rohn, Pope Lonergan
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↑ "Christmas Science Ghosts". The Bloomsbury Theatre. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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