Get involved!

The Bright Club is a public engagement event unlike any other.  Researchers, from all fields and backgrounds, take to the stage to perform short stand-up comedy routines about their work.  Why?  Because it’s fun, interesting, and genuinely useful.  Comedy and research have a lot in common. 

Most of our performers have no experience of doing stand-up comedy – or have even considered it before - but that doesn’t matter.  We provide training with the help of professional comedians.  No matter how much experience you have with public speaking or teaching, there is something valuable you can learn from the world of stand-up – and have a great time as you do it

We had a sell-out debut show at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2011 with the BBC, and are working with brilliant comedy people including The Stand Comedy Club – one of the top comedy clubs in the UK.  Our shows sell out and we’ve had lots of media attention, including New Scientist , New Statesman, and Radio Scotland.

We have regular shows and we are looking for people to get involved, make us laugh, and help make this the best Bright Club in the UK.  We are seeking researchers from all fields…and not just from the Universities.

If you’re a budding comedian, looking for a new public engagement opportunity, want to make your life more interesting, or just like the sound of your own voice then fill in this short form so we can inform you of show openings and training workshops as soon as they come up.  Alternatively,


 get in touch with us at brightclubedin@gmail.com.

All our performers are, of course, researchers (from PhD students to professors) and not comedians, so you absolutely don’t need any stand-up experience. You don’t even need to have any jokes written, because we give you all the training and practice you need.  It’s easier than you think, but don’t tell your friends that because they’ll look at you in awe.

The biggest incentive I can offer is that performing is brilliant fun – hopefully we’ll hear from some of you soon.

Bright Club Edinburgh

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Upcoming shows with vacancies

Tues 23 April 2013
Bright Club Edinburgh #15.0 @ The Stand

Tues 28 May 2013 (A chemistry special)
Bright Club Edinburgh #16.0 @ The Stand

Tues 25 June 2013
Bright Club Edinburgh #17.0 @ The Stand

As well as on-off specials, we have regular (sort of) monthly (sort of) shows at one of the best comedy venues in the UK.  We want researchers from all fields.  Training begins two weeks before the shows.