Marine biologist turned award-winning comedian Robyn Perkins has debuted at Perth Fringe World with her stand up show on the science of confidence. I took my children to this show because honestly, I didn’t know what to expect except for a family-friendly science comedy show. With guest comedian Anna Piper Scott (comedian) and ARC Laureate Fellow Sharon K. Parker (researcher & speaker) as her panel, this format mirrors what you might find in Have You Been Paying Attention. Robyn begins by asking the question ‘can we do life better using science?’ and then using real-life stories, and her background in science, gives us a comedic science lesson on confidence and imposter syndrome, before bringing the panel of guests. Using this question as the basis for discussion Robyn riffs with the speakers on the topic before opening it up to the audience, inviting questions, comments, and discussion.
Each show that Robyn is doing has a different topic for scientific enquiry and discussion. It is a refreshing format, and getting the audience involved is a surefire way to keep their attention. It is a risky move to have such a high-involvement show, never knowing who is going to show up, and keeping the audience on track is a skill but Robyn is charming and funny and managed to hold her own on stage.
Rating 4 out of 5.