Helen Arney is a comedian, geek songstress and physics graduate based in London.
She’s one third of science comedy phenomenon Festival of the Spoken Nerd, and co-presents user-generated science show You Have Been Warned on Discovery Channel. Helen has toured her science-infused comedy songs around the UK with Robin Ince, Brian Cox and Tim Minchin in “Uncaged Monkeys”, performed her award-winning solo show “Voice of an Angle” at the Edinburgh Fringe and London’s Soho Theatre, and filled several notebooks with possible rhymes for Uranus.
In 2013 she can be seen on the small screen in Discovery Channel’s user-generated science show You Have Been Warned and behind a door of the Royal Institution’s Advent Calendar talking about her favourite element. Live shows coming up with the Spoken Nerds this year include a sold-out run at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, Udderbelly, British Library and a UK tour of their new show in the Autumn.
“Champion of musical whims” (Evening Standard)
***** “Clever comedy at its best” (The Skinny)
**** ”Charming, witty, warm… great one-liners” (The List)
“Best Comedy Performer” Buxton Fringe 2012
Also prolific writer of comedy and songs with a geeky edge, Helen has toured the UK in “Uncaged Monkeys” alongside Robin Ince, Brian Cox, Simon Singh, Ben Goldacre, and Tim Minchin. She has appeared on BBC Radio 4 as a guest in The Infinite Monkey Cage and Wondermentalist Cabaret, and recorded this short film for Channel 4. Helen performs in comedy clubs and theatres all over the UK, from rooms above pubs to Shakespeare’s Globe, and her songs and songbooks are available to download at Bandcamp.
Helen is one third by volume (or half the X chromosomes) of Festival of the Spoken Nerd, a consistently sold-out night of science, maths, music and comedy with stand-up mathematician Matt Parker and guerilla scientist Steve Mould. Shows at the British Library, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Udderbelly on the South Bank and London’s Bloomsbury Theatre are coming up this year, as well as their regular shows at UK science festivals and the Edinburgh Fringe.
In 2010, Helen performed her first comedy hour Songs for Modern Loving at the Edinburgh Fringe, to critical acclaim. In December that year, she also released a festive studio album, It’s going to be an awkward Christmas, darling with drummer and playwright Paul Richards. Wry, humorous, lyrically intelligent and unashamedly poignant, the track “Office Party” was played on BBC 6 Music. In 2012 she released Voice of an Angle, touching on her past as a Physics degree student Imperial College London, including the Geek Pop hit Animals with gentleman rapper Professor Elemental and cryogenic love song You & Me & Walt Disney as seen in Wired Magazine.
Over the last few years Helen has become a festival favourite, appearing at Latitude, End Of The Road, Green Man, Greenbelt, Secret Garden Party, Bestival, Lodestar and Wychwood music festivals; Edinburgh, Buxton, Machynlleth, Newport and Cambridge comedy festivals; Science festivals in Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Brighton, London and Cambridge; and both Oxford and Cheltenham Literary festivals. In September 2012 she performed a short run of her latest show “Voice of an Angle” at the Soho Theatre in London and took it on a short tour to Norway.
Helen’s upcoming projects include co-presenting a new series for Discovery Channel, recording an EP as comedy girlband The Balconettes with Rachel Parris, and more Domestic Science shows with fellow geek comedian Rob Wells.
In case you’re wondering, she is indeed the younger sister of Dr Kat Arney.
Full press quotes:
“Champion of musical whims” (Evening Standard)
“Best Comedy Performer” Buxton Fringe 2012
One of Dave TV’s “Top 10 stand-ups to catch in 2011“
***** “Clever comedy at its best” (The Skinny)
**** “Charming, witty and warm, with great one-liners” (The List)
**** “Harnesses the spirit of Ben Folds and The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon… delightful” (Chortle)
**** “High-class musical comedy with soul, intelligence and wit” (Broadway Baby)
“A combination of the literal and whimsical; she has a gift for writing clever lyrics” (British Comedy Guide)
“One to watch” (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine)
“Rising star of 2010” (spoonfed.co.uk)
“Irreverent and heartfelt” (British Theatre Guide)
“Geeky” (Time Out)
“Lots of distinctive laughs. Classy stuff” (Chortle)