News

Pro-science comedian and celebrated nerd, Lawrence Leung hosted the 33rd Annual Australian Sceptics Conference, if you can believe it.

Skepticon Australia was a massive two day event in Sydney for all lovers of science & mythbusting. Speakers included scientists, documentary filmmakers, astrophysicists, former-naturopaths, doctors against anti-vaxxers, cancer biologists, poets, secular activists, comedians and podcasters.

Prof Alan Duffy and a Mars Rover.

Some highlights included ‘walking-wikipedia’ Dr Karl talking about Great Moments in Skepticism, Youtube sensation Captain Disillusion talking about viral scepticism without the cynicism,  vaccination campaigner Catherine Hughes relating her encounters the anti-vax movement, ABC’s astrophysicist Professor Alan Duffy introducing a Mars Rover on stage , Cara Santa Maria (Talk Nerdy, National Geographic) dissecting the state of science communication in post-truth America, Ruth Ellison on escaping a religious cult, and a live recording from the comedic Cognitive Dissonance podcast.

Attempting to solve a Rubik’s Cube whilst blindfolded is one way to impress and out-geek the celebrity super-minds in my company.

The Bent Spoon Award – Australia’s least coveted prize is bestowed annually upon the country’s biggest bullshitter. This is an individual or organisation that peddles nonsense claims or products without any scientific evidence that they actually work, or the promotion of pseudoscience in the public sphere.

 

Lawrence joined famed science communicator and US national treasure Bill Nye on-stage at his Melbourne show. Together they tackled all manner of fascinating, geeky and curious Audience Questions.

Lawrence wore a bowtie to match Mr Nye, but came across looking like “Bad Chinese Doctor Who Cosplay.”

Off the back of his new Netflix series Bill Nye Saves The World, the educator/science activist toured packed-out theatres Sydney and Melbourne with his trademark wit, wisdom, no-nonsense evidence-based rants and entertaining anecdotes covering everything from his mother’s top secret Enigma codebreaking, to solutions for climate change and the limitations of Mars colonisation.

UPDATE: Very Strange Things wins the Director’s Choice Award at MMF17.

Massive thanks to all the audiences who came and made it such a great season.

If you missed it at last year’s Comedy Fest, here’s your only chance to catch Lawrence Leung’s mind-bending stand-up comedy show.

VERY STRANGE THINGS is back in Melbourne

this July for 5 nights only.

“Mindblowing” Time Out, Top 10 shows of MICF16

Lawrence has taken his wickedly unique blend of psych experiments and stand up comedy to festivals around Australia, with sell out shows and critical acclaim. He’s bringing it back home to Melbourne, one final time, as part of #MMF17. VERY STRANGE THINGS promises to be the most mind-bending and side-splitting experience you’ll have in a theatre this year.

‘ 4.5 STARS Superb and ingenious.’ Australian Stage
‘4.5 STARS’ Beat Magazine
‘4.5 STARS Leung plays the illusionist, charlatan and scientist with witty intelligence’ TheMusic
“4.5 STARS Amazing ” Herald Sun
‘4.5 STARS The laughs come just as often and the humour is just as sharp.’  -The West Australian

FIVE SHOWS ONLY

July 11-15

at the Northcote Town Hall,

as part of the 10 anniversary of The Melbourne Magic Festival.

For all tickets CLICK HERE

The 2017 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards announced their shortlist and the screenplay for SUCKER is nominated for the Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting.

Lawrence Leung and Ben Chessel’s film SUCKER, a coming-of-age con artist movie, impressed the judges whom described the script as “a playful approach to narrative conventions without ever undermining our connection to its memorable, multifaceted characters. Amid the fun and games, it is surprisingly wise on matters of identity, trust and love.”

 

The full shortlist:

The Code, Series 2 Episode 4 (Shelley Birse)

Sucker (Lawrence Leung and Ben Chessell)

Down Under (Abe Forsythe)

The Kettering Incident, Episode 1 (Victoria Madden)

Afghanistan: Inside Australia’s War, Episode 3 ‘We All Have To Get Home’ (Victoria Midwinter Pitt),

Cleverman, Episode 5 ‘Terra Nullius’ (Michael Miller)

The co-winners: The Code & Down Under

Read the Judges Comments about the Sucker script

SUCKER began as a one-man stage show written/performed by Lawrence Leung that received the Best Solo Show Award at the 2001 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Over the years, it was adapted as a screenplay, co-written by Lawrence and director Ben Chessell. The completed feature film stars veteran British actor Timothy Spall and newcomers John Luc and Lily Sullivan.  SUCKER the movie premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival, was the winner of  Best Narrative Feature Award at the St Lawrence Film Festival and was nominated for Best Screen Adaptation at the Australian Writers Guild Awards.

Watch the FULL MOVIE streaming online

COSMIC SHAMBLES LIVE is a gala night of science, comedy and music!

After successful runs in the UK, co-host/comedians Robin Ince and Josie Long tour their Science Variety Show to Australia and NZ.

The Melbourne show on April 1st includes Helen Czerski (bubble physicist), Matt Parker (stand up mathematician) and Lucie Green (cosmologist) and Rod Quantock, astrophysicist Dr Katie Mack, musician Ali Barter.

Oh and resident-geek Lawrence Leung also joins the Melbourne cast to talk about scepticism, growing-up geeky and Rubik’s Cubes.

Cosmic Shambles LIVE is a variety show that celebrates curiosity and reason, an explosion of science, comedy, music and general wonder, with a great sense of fun.

Saturday 1st April 2017

7pm Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

TICKETS – CLICK HERE