Ensonglopedia of Science is a music/theatre/science show to delight the inquisitive mind.
Expect atoms, black holes, cells, DNA and everything in between. Expect folk, gospel, hip-hop, interpretative dance, jive and klezmer. In fact, expect the alphabet to feature quite prominently. Above all, expect the unexpected. And expect it to rhyme.
BACKGROUND
Ensonglopedia of Science is an exhilarating one-man show from John Hinton, the multi-award-winning writer and performer of an internationally renowned ‘Scientrilogy’ of musical comedies about Darwin, Einstein and Curie. He has written science communication songs for museums, botanic gardens, community woodlands and county councils, and is a Jacques Lecoq-trained physical performer and workshop leader.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The show will be enjoyed by all ages from 7 to adult, and is suitable for a wide range of performance settings, including theatres, schools, science festivals and village halls. For school audiences, the show is offered to upper KS2 and KS3.
THE SHOW
The show consists of twenty-six songs about different areas of science, one for each letter of the alphabet, each rigorously fact-checked by an expert scientist working in the relevant field (and also rigorously excellentness-checked by a team of world-class theatre makers).
CRITICAL RECEPTION
The show was nominated for a Primary Times Children’s Choice Award at Brighton Fringe 2017. Here are some choice quotes from reviews:
“Wow! What a selection. What a demonstration of the immense range of science… OUTSTANDING SHOW” – Fringe Review
“Gloriously intricate lyrics and a few audacious rhymes complete a tightly-packed hour which demands your full attention but rewards it with plenty of offbeat humour… A geeky treat” ★★★★ – Fringe Guru
“Mesmerising! John Hinton doesn’t just own the stage, he owns the room.” ★★★★★ – Musical Talk
“This is awesome…The show’s motor is Hinton’s incredible intelligence, exuberance, and the sheer breadth of his creativity…The show abounds with Hinton’s trademark charm, intelligence, and musical panache…Did we mention: this is awesome.” – Pro Theatre
EXPERTS
The following organisations and individuals kindly helped to fact-check the show’s lyric and video content:
- The University of Sussex
- The Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine at King’s College London
- The Natural History Museum, London
- The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
- Nemesis Bioscience, Cambridgeshire
- Cambridge University Botanic Garden
- Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust
- Best-selling science author John Gribbin
PERFORMANCES
Ensonglopedia of Science was performed nearly 100 times between early 2017 and late 2019, at venues including Edinburgh and Brighton Fringe Festivals, Esplora Science Centre in Malta, theatres and schools up and down the UK, and in the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall. Although it is no longer touring as a full show, many of its songs still get played at John Hinton’s solo gigs around the country.