The Science of Getting 2 High
The Petridish 8 Stafford Street, Dunedin, Dunedin
21/03/2024 - 23/03/2024
Production Details
Performed and written by Jonathan Falconer
After five sold-out Dunedin shows, The Science of Getting 2 High is a sequel show hosted by the self-identified World’s Dumbest Doctor Jonathan Falconer that seamlessly blends stand-up comedy with intriguing insights from the field of neuropharmacology. The new show gets a bit more raw and personal, with a look at the science behind bad trips with personal anecdotes on how to embrace or avoid them.
The Science of Getting 2 High combines the fun of stand-up comedy with the captivating neuroscience of altered states and drug dependence, illuminating our susceptibility to negative experiences with drugs and how to minimize risks with drug use.
Jonathan has been featured on Radio New Zealand and Stuff, won the 2020 Mount Maunganui Comedy Competition and Best Comedian at the Dunedin Comedy Awards in 2020 and 2021.
“Who needs drugs? This show will get you high.” – New Zealand Theatreview
“Provocative and entertaining … has a comfortable and appealing delivery style.” – Fringefeed
The Dish, March 21 and 23 at 7 PM for $20
https://www.dunedinfringe.nz/events/the-science-of-getting-2-high
Comedy , Theatre , Solo ,
60 minutes
A Double Dose of Dopamine
Review by Reuben Crimp 22nd Mar 2024
In the small world of New Zealand stand-up comedy, Jonathan Falconer stands apart. Once again, he produces something singularly unparalleled that defies the conventions of the genre.
Surely, a science-lecture-comedy show has niche appeal given no such category exists on Netflix. However, a sold-out crowd proves the demand is high for Falconer’s latest creation The Science of Getting 2 High.
With a PhD in Pharmacology and a decade of stand-up comedy under his belt, Falconer is uniquely qualified to deliver an exceptionally captivating, enlightening, and hilarious show. No other comedian in the country can provoke laughter by accurately explaining the neurochemical endorphins involved in laughter.
For those unaware of Falconer’s back catalogue, his new show continues his exploration of drugs’ effects on the mind and body using a variety of scientific lenses and personal reflections. His science is backed up with peer-reviewed research, and his anecdotes are rip-roaringly funny.
Falconer is neither an advocate for drug use nor a moral crusader against them. His motivations are impelled by a scientific mind and a passionate curiosity (i.e. a nerd). However, despite the lack of an overt political agenda, the information he shares challenges societal perceptions. He explains why heroin leads to addiction-link dependency, but magic mushrooms don’t; he also identifies meth and alcohol as the two most harmful drugs in New Zealand. While unsurprising, it made me seriously question my drink choice for the evening.
In the competitive arena of stand-up comedy, Falconer is a paragon of artistic individuality. Unlike his contemporaries, he does not chase the cheap laughs; he cares not for mindless blather; he strives for something more substantial, something to nourish the mind while being effortlessly funny, leaving the audience with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of our world.
Falconer is excellent. His show is highly recommended and well worth the trip.
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