Be amazed by the power of pressure – and what it can teach us! Doktor Kaboom’s new show is fit to burst with astonishing live science experiments, stand-up comedy and lessons in empowerment – using the physics of pressure to explore the stresses of real life. Back for a fourth year with brand-new experiments for 2025, don’t miss this spectacular hour of ‘perfect family entertainment’ (POWShowbiz.com). Commissioned by the John F Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington DC.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show/event/performance is?
I’m a comedian turned science educator; my shows blend intelligent comedy with absurd science demonstrations and life lessons. In this show, I use the physics of pressure as metaphor for the stresses and anxieties of life. My goal is to give students and their families tools for recognising, talking about, and dealing with stress.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
I’ve been performing as Doktor Kaboom all over the world for 17 years. After the pandemic, I realised that my audiences, usually 1-2,000 kids, or more, were behaving quite differently, more reserved, hesitant, oddly fragile, but only occasionally. After thinking about it and discussing it with educators, it became clear that the world’s children were psychologically traumatised by the shutdowns. Self-harm, depression, anxieties are all on the rise, but there is no awareness or guidance on a national level, anywhere. No one is talking about it, so I decided to. When they heard what I was working on, the Kennedy Center, in Washington DC, reached out and wanted to support the show.
They commissioned it, gave me a great deal of support in my process, making sure I had connections with the right experts for the right information, and we premiered it there last October. I design, build, and write everything, but my wife, Annie Lareau (“Fuselage” at Pleasance Courtyard) is my director and we worked quite well together creating the piece. I’m very proud of it! I feel it’s the culmination of what I’ve been working toward for almost 20 years.
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
I ADORE it! Now in my fourth Fringe run, August has become my absolute favourite month of the year. It’s the hardest, but easily the most rewarding.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
I present one of the few shows that truly is for the whole family. Audiences leave with a shared memory they will literally relive together for years. I get DMs and emails about this all the time, sometimes years later. There’s the spectacle, of course, but it’s really the character that makes
the show shine. His passion for the subject matter, as well as the audience carry the show. I’m a professional comedian, so the comedy is for everyone. No condescension or hacky puns. And forget what you think you know about a ‘science show’. There is no magic, no silliness for toddlers. This is a joy-filled experience for everyone in the room to revel in and create together.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
YES! My goal is for families to head out with an awareness that stress and anxieties are real, and a shared vocabulary to talk about it.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
My personal favourite is an audience of entire families, multiple generations. I have laughs for everyone, and everyone learns. I especially love seeing the ones who thought they didn’t want to come, but find out they love it. Expectations are so powerful. The ones I don’t want, well, the drunken punters, but I don’t really have to worry about that at the Pleasance.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
I am thrilled for my friend, Darryl J. Carrington, and his new show, “Out of the Box”. I’ve watched him develop it from trying to find the heart of it with street performance, to creating a fantastic stage show, that has already won some awards! It’s a great one for the whole family.
For just the adults, I cannot strongly enough recommend “Fuselage” at Pleasance Courtyard. Full disclosure, it’s my wife’s piece, but it really is a must-see. She’s written a 3-person show from her memoir about PanAm 103, the flight that was destroyed over Lockerbie. She was meant to be on the flight but couldn’t afford the £75 change fee. So, she was left to watch the news unfold, alone in her flat in London, as 35 of her classmates and friends, and so many others, were so violently destroyed. In this play, she tells the stories of her friends, the people of Lockerbie, and herself, somehow managing to lift the audience’s spirit above the tragedy.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, performance, and the industry?
Affordability. People would be stunned to know the true numbers involved in bringing a show here, even for locals. There is a lot of work being done to help address this, I’m keeping my hopes up because I know there is so much incredible talent in the world that cannot even try to do the Fringe, because of the daunting expenses. I am grateful to have been so fortunate.
Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure at Venue 33: Pleasance Courtyard Beyond
Photo credit: Damian Robertson
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