The Science of Being Funny

James Lloyd joins Dave Crisante to explore whether comedy can give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

James is a plant scientist at the University of Western Australia who completed the Future Science Talks Science Comedy Program and performed to a sold-out audience of 200 people at Perth Fringe in 2025.

James shares that he has advanced cancer, and reflects on how his comedy performance at Perth Fringe has become such a meaningful experience for him.

They discuss what it was like for James to take to the comedy stage, how the experience changed his relationship with science communication, and how performing comedy can become an unexpected highlight.

James's show at Perth Fringe World: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxCo_4eGVbw ⁠

Learn comedy with Sydney Comedy School: ⁠https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/

Learn more about Future Science Talks: https://www.futuresciencetalks.com.au/

James's research: https://www.badgrammargoodsyntax.com/lloyd-lab-at-uwa

Brett Oaten joins Dave Crisante to explore what makes a stand-up comedy graduation show so much fun. Brett recently completed a Sydney Comedy School stand-up course and performed as the opening act at his graduation show.

They discuss what it's like to perform stand-up for the first time, inviting friends and family along, and why getting on stage can be such a rewarding experience.

Learn comedy with Sydney Comedy School: https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/

The course Brett did: https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/learn-perform-stand-up-comedy-sydney

Brett's grad show: https://youtu.be/S5mdVamcLAw

Connect with Brett: www.brettoaten.com.au 

Brett's music reviews: https://sonicmiddleage.substack.com/

The latest Sydney Stand-Up Comedy Championship heat winner Ema Franklin joins Dave Crisante to explore whether humour can make you more memorable.

They discuss how humour can help people stand out, connect with others and leave a lasting impression, including in professional settings.

Learn comedy with Sydney Comedy School: ⁠https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/⁠

See Ema's comedy here: https://www.instagram.com/emafranklin

Ellen Worgan, Senior Coordinator of Library Programs and Marketing at City of Ryde Libraries, joins Dave Crisante to explore whether humour can make people want to learn. They talk about using entertainment to capture attention, making learning more engaging, and how humour can help people feel comfortable asking questions and exploring unfamiliar topics.

Learn comedy with Sydney Comedy School: https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/

Learn more about Future Science Talks: https://www.futuresciencetalks.com.au/

Explore City of Ryde Libraries: https://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/Library

David Chin, Chief Operating Officer at the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, joins Dave Crisante to explore whether humour can help you communicate across cultures. They talk about using humour to build rapport and trust, navigating cultural differences, and why making people laugh can help break down barriers and create stronger relationships.

David completed a stand-up comedy course with Dave through Sydney Comedy School earlier this year.

Learn comedy with Sydney Comedy School: https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/

Learn more about the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia: https://www.amcham.com.au/

Taylor Szyszka, a bioengineer at the University of Sydney and award-winning science communicator, joins Dave Crisante to explore whether you can make anything funny. They talk about turning technical science into comedy, using humour to make complicated ideas more accessible, and why sometimes the driest topics are actually the easiest to make funny.

Dave runs the Science Comedy Program through his organisation, Future Science Talks.

More info about the Science Comedy Program: https://www.futuresciencetalks.com.au/science-comedy-program

Learn comedy with Sydney Comedy School: ⁠https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/⁠

Play Remediate, the science game created by Taylor's social enterprise OnBoard Science: https://remediategame.com/

Watch Taylor perform science comedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss1KLc-35N8&t=32s

Avi Tannabalan, ahead of his first ever festival show, joins Dave Crisante to explore whether newer comedians should take the leap into comedy festivals. They talk about making the jump from short sets to a full show, finding an audience, marketing your show, and why getting people to care can be just as important as making the show good.

Learn comedy with Sydney Comedy School: https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/

See Avi’s show, Inside an Immigrant’s Suitcase, at Sydney Fringe: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/inside-an-immigrants-suitcase/

Watch a Sydney Comedy School grad show featuring Avi (about 40 mins in): https://youtu.be/Zo81PThOenw.

What students say after performing their first grad show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51EVa2bV1tQ

Helio Borges, fresh from his recent comedy competition wins, joins Dave Crisante to explore whether anyone can learn to be funny. They talk about the difference between trying to be funny and actually being funny, how confidence changes the way an audience responds to you, and why being honest about how other people see you can be one of the easiest ways to make them laugh.

Learn comedy with Sydney Comedy School: https://www.sydneycomedyschool.com.au/

Watch a Sydney Comedy School grad show where Helio performs: https://youtu.be/LX6CbioRsBE

See Helio at Sydney Fringe: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/we-need-to-talk-a-couples-comedy-game-show-for-everyone/

What students say after performing their first grad show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51EVa2bV1tQ