Charlotte Thornton reviews Volcano: A Science Comedy Show, performed by Ben Miller, at Little Andromeda, Friday 27 March 2026.
For most of us, science lessons end in adolescence. We get through the rest of our years with a few periodic table elements memorised, a bit of practical knowledge about the weather, and a firm opinion about Pluto. But why should it stop there?
New York City comedian Ben Miller wrote Volcano: A Science Comedy Show while an artist-in-residence at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and later toured it around the world. The show is neatly metatextual; he tells us the story of his residency and gives us a lecture-of-sorts on volcanology. I’m no scientist, but there are plenty in the audience, who nod knowingly at Miller’s slides and only correct him once.
Volcano: A Science Comedy Show is a well-honed and tightly written hour of deadpan stand-up. It’s nerdy but approachable, with plenty of fun references to Aotearoa New Zealand which feel fresh. Miller links scientific concepts to aspects of modern culture, like online dating and living on a tight budget. Also, Pompeii, of course.
Miller has a great personality for stand-up comedy: self-deprecating and quietly confident. He handles a confusing audience interaction with ease, though he seems a bit less comfortable with crowdwork than with his own material. It could be smoother with spicier, science-y questions, or with brighter house lights to soften the divide between performer and audience.
Miller has a degree in Materials Science and Engineering, which might have informed his PowerPoint skills. I’ve never seen such confidence with a presentation remote. The timing requires precision, and Miller consistently nails it. Some visual gags appear without Miller even acknowledging them. Others bolster his point or expand on it. The best ones act as his citations – a fittingly scientific approach to this art form.
Miller finds a well-matched opening act in the delightful Aimée Borlase, who starts the show with great riffs on her STEM career and the soul-crushing battle for arts funding. There are knowing laughs in the audience for both topics – perhaps Volcano: A Science Comedy Show sits at the intersection of the arts and sciences Venn diagram.
I hope more shows are made for that intersection. Artists and scientists have a lot in common, from funding applications to niche interests, and both groups are overlooked in their contributions to society. More artist-scientist collaborations would be a good thing for everyone. Miller’s own artist residency has succeeded in bringing Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to audiences around the globe – Aotearoa New Zealand is a part of the Volcano: A Science Comedy Show world tour. I would love to see more residency opportunities going to unexpected artists like this. Sometimes science communication is government strategy, sometimes it’s education in schools, and sometimes it’s stand-up shows with jokes about bodily fluids.
There’s something nostalgic about Miller’s set. Its straightforwardly nerdy concept, its punny material, the nods to pop culture – it takes me back to the time when my YouTube feed was all sweetly optimistic science millennials. As Borlase mentions in her set, it’s pretty depressing out there right now. It’s a pleasure to spend an hour learning about volcanoes instead of feeling like I’m trapped inside one.
Volcano: A Science Comedy Show has finished its Aotearoa NZ tour but has further dates in the US.
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