Bright Club will return in September transforming more of Lancaster’s researchers into stand-up comedians. Find out how to join the latest cohort of performers for a unique Lancastrian experience.

Bright Club is an Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) supported public engagement programme that blends academia with comedy. Think of it as ‘Viva at the Apollo’ where Lancaster’s staff get to write and perform stand-up comedy based on their work.

For 2026, Ria Lina will join Lancaster Bright Club as a guest compere. Ria’s credits include Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You, QI, Mock the Week, The News Quiz, The Now Show, Late Night Mash and star of Lovestruck High (Amazon Prime). She is also a regular pundit on Sky News, BBC News, and Times Radio blending scientific insight and wit.

Reasons to take part

Bright Club is a growing community where abstracts are welcome and outliers are counted. Nobody asks about your sample size, you get statistically significant laughs, immediate feedback, and the only three letter acronym you need is ‘LOL’.

Past participants have described how their Bright Club experience has given them more confidence and skills in engagement which has helped across teaching, presenting and interviewing, and relating with diverse groups.

In 2023, Bright Club was featured as part of a UK-wide Knowledge Exchange Good Practice Repository. It was singled out for making research accessible through effective public engagement while benefitting the researchers after their performance as they apply their experience to their own teaching, research and collaboration activities.

Dates for your diary

Bright Club participants are supported to develop a script and build performance confidence. Before signing up, check you can attend the following dates and mark them in your diary:

• Tuesday 6 October: On-campus workshop with Ria. Attendance for the whole session is required.
• Thursday 5 November: The big gig at the Borough! Sound checks start around 5pm, and the fun continues late into the night.

Register your interest

If you’re interested, the first step is an informal chat with Dee Hennessy. Please send Dee an email to express your interest and she will arrange to have a conversation with you after the summer.

Registering interest doesn’t mean you’re committed to perform, only that you’re interested in the possibility.