Nine Lessons to take 24 hours

Robin Ince's annual celebration gets supersized

Robin Ince is to stage a virtual version of his annual celebration of science and entertainment – lasting for a full 24 hours.

This year’s instalment, entitled Nine Lessons and Carols for Socially Distanced People, will run for a full day from midday on Sunday December 12, from Kings Place in London.

And producers predict that the show, which revels in its reputation for poor timekeeping, 'will probably still overrun'.

Comedians lined up to appear include Rachel Parris, Josie Long, Isy Suttie and Bec Hill, alongside musicians Tanita Tikaram and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

And the science line-up includes Professor Brian Cox, astronauts Chris Hadfield and Helen Sharman, physicist and presenter Helen Czerski and writers and broadacsters Jim Al-Khalili and Ben Goldacre.

Ince said: ‘We have been putting on science variety shows every Christmas for nearly 15 years now – with guests from Chris Hadfield to The Cure - part of the festivities have been watching a chemist accidentally spilling sulphuric acid on stage and cosmology being explained via experimental jazz.

‘Of all the live events that have been cancelled this year, this is the one I feel saddest to lose - so we won't lose it - we are corralling scientists, astronauts, comedians, musicians and people with lasers from all around the world, from every continent.’

It is hoped the 24-hour show will include contributions from every continent, while audience members will be encouraged to take part in experiments and scientific research.

Tickets to be in the theatre are available here, sold as a series of separate shows over the day. The livestream will be free to watch but donations will be encouraged and profits from the show will be shared between charities Turn2Us, Doctors Without Borders, Mind and the Kings Place charity.

Producer Trent Burton from The Cosmic Shambles Network said of the Nine Lessons shows: ‘After such a tough year for everyone, the idea of just cancelling them wasn’t an option. That said, doing all of them, in a row, for 24 + straight hours is what we’ve been affectionately calling The Maddest Idea We’ve Ever Had. We’re really excited to be able to welcome all manner of guests to the show from all over the world this year.’