by Bruce Dessau

Not many comedy shows leave the audience with a reading list, but Theatre Of Science is no ordinary comedy show. Physicist Simon Singh presents a lecture on probability and psychologist Richard Wiseman explores the nature of deception. Pay attention at the back, they almost make academia sexy.

Singh skips on in a Hawaiian shirt, looking like a refugee from Ready Steady Cook, and upturns audience predictions on various topics. His enthusiasm is infectious, his ideas playful. He explains how Trotsky's murder was foretold in Moby Dick and that if you buy a Lottery ticket on Monday, statistically you are more likely to be dead when the draw is made than win the jackpot.

Wiseman is equally eager and strong on illusions. Nothing is up his sleeves - his T-shirt has no sleeves. A video hitch slows the pace, but when he regains his stride, he is brilliant, moving from optical trickery to downright deception, debunking the paranormal on the way. The youthful boffin teeters on the brink of revealing Magic Circle secrets, but pulls back before risking having his wand snapped.

Combine the two halves and you get a unique masterclass on the mind. The most stimulating comedy gig this year? Probably.