Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People is Robin Ince’s ground-breaking creation, the original variety night mashing up science, comedy, music and more. This much-loved end-of-year tradition has played to sold-out live audiences for over 15 years, but in 2020 COVID-19 has raised its ugly pandemic head. And so with the live shows unable to go ahead in their usual form, the team behind the shows at The Cosmic Shambles Network were determined to come up with a marvellously unique alternative.

And so they have decided to cram every little bit of creativity and curiosity from all those cancelled events into one phenomenal 24-hour live show! Robin Ince will be there to host this blockbuster of a show for the full 24 hours and audiences will be able to watch live either online from the comfort of their own home or in limited, socially-distanced numbers at Kings Place itself (government guidance permitting). There’ll be plenty of ways for you to be involved to with interactive experiments and competitions as Robin will be joined by a variety of live in person co-hosts mixed with a vast array of incredible guests joining virtually. Expect to see Brian Cox, Helen Czerski, Josie Long, Chris Hadfield, Helen Sharman, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Jim Al-Khalili, Sharon D Clarke, Tanita Tikaram, Chris Jackson, Rachel Parris, Ben Goldacre, Rachel Long and many, many more.

And don’t worry, it’ll still probably overrun…

Whilst the live-stream will be free to watch we will be encouraging donations to cover the costs of the production and all profits will be split between our chosen charities this year, Doctors Without Borders, Turn2Us, Mind: For Better Mental Health and Kings Place Music Foundation. You can donate now at crowdfunder.co.uk/ninelessons.

For a full and constantly updating list of guest announcements, visit cosmicshambles.com/ninelessons

New guests announced:

• Acclaimed comedian Yianni Agisilaou
• Author and the heart and soul of Australian rock music, Jimmy Barnes
• Immunologist and award winning author Professor Dan Davis
• Multi-platinum selling singer / songwriter Delta Goodrem
• Comedian, author, performer and Python, Robin the Brave himself, Eric Idle
• Award winning comedian, including the Perrier for Best Newcomer, Milton Jones
• Mr Robot and Dispatches from Elsewhere actor Eve Lindley
• Comedian and podcaster Kiri Pritchard-McLean
• Battle of the Sexes and The Meg actress Jessica McNamee
• Multi award winning comedian, writer and presenter Shaun Micallef
• Anthropologist, broadcaster and author Professor Alice Roberts
• Apollo 9 Lunar Module pilot, astronaut Rusty Schweickart 
• Inside No.9 and The League of Gentleman’s Reece Shearsmith
• Poet and performance artist Keisha Thompson

Full list of performers below

Please note that the 2.30pm slot on Saturday 12 December is a Family Matinee.

“The antidote to the ignorance and unkindness sweeping the world.” Chortle

“Long may it continue to brighten our bleak midwinter with the light of reason and silliness.” The Guardian

“Put comedy and science in a test tube and you get this … Ince’s annual celebration of ideas is eclectic, enjoyable and truly epic.” Evening Standard

The full list of performers announced so far:

Chris Addison
Yianni Agisilaou
Professor Jim Al-Khalili
Helen Arney
Ben Bailey Smith
Jimmy Barnes
Dame Dr Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Sunayana Bhargava
Jo Brand
Katy Brand
Marcus Brigstocke
Peter Buckley Hill
Dr Dean Burnett
Professor Jon Butterworth
Donna Lynne Champlin
Charlotte Church
Sharon D Clarke
Professor Matthew Cobb
Dave Coplin
Professor Brian Cox
Samantha Cristoforetti
Zena Cumpston
Dr Helen Czerski
Professor Dan Davis
Krystal De Napoli
Dr Michelle Dickinson
Diesel
Alexandra Dodds
Professor David Eagleman
George Egg
Kevin Eldon
Dr Tamsin Edwards
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Professor Pete Etchells
Isabel Felandro
Femi
Dr Kevin Fong
Deborah Frances-White
Dr Suzi Gage
Dr Jamie Gallagher
Mark Gatiss
Gecko
Charlie George
Dr Ben Goldacre
Delta Goodrem
Professor Lucie Green
Zoe Griffiths
Dr Jen Gupta
Commander Chris Hadfield
Matt Haig
Dr Brenna Hassett
Natalie Haynes
Richard Herring
Bec Hill
Robyn Hitchcock
Dr Emma Hodcroft
Amy Hoggart
Professor Bruce Hood
Lori Hopkins
Rachel House
Joshua Idehen
Eric Idle
Robin Ince
Eddie Izzard
Professor Chris Jackson
Kier-La Janisse
Milton Jones
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
Dr Suze Kundu
Stewart Lee
Seb Lee-Delisle
Lawrence Leung
Eve Lindely
Professor Chris Lintott
Josie Long
Rachel Long
Miranda Lowe
Lost Voice Guy
David McAlmont
Joel McHale
Jessica McNamee
Dr Katie Mack
Shaun Micallef
Steve Mould
Joanna Neary
James Nokise
Matt Parker
Rachel Parris
Guy Pearce
Penfriend
Anna Phoebe
Steve Pretty
Kiri Pritchard-McLean
Alice Roberts
John Luke Roberts
Nitin Sawhney
Ankita Saxena
Scarlett Oak Theatre Puppetry
Rusty Schweickart
Bobby Seagull
Professor Andrea Sella
Dr Helen Sharman
Reece Shearsmith
Ariane Sherine
Nikesh Shukla
Dr Simon Singh
Ginny Smith
Kiell Smith-Bynoe
Isy Suttie
Keisha Thompson
Tanita Tikaram
Mark Watson
Professor Kate Williams
Dr Rebecca Wragg-Skyes
YVA
Zahara
Helen Zaltzman

AND MANY MORE!