020 8914 8966
020 8914 8966
Dr. Bunhead started working life as qualified secondary science teacher and chartered chemist. Tom Pringle (AKA Dr Bunhead) is now the UK ‘s most successful ‘stand-up scientist’. He has worked as a freelance science communicator for over 20 years. Bringing pure live science into classrooms, theatres and TV sets around the world. Dr Bunhead has performed in everything from grand opera houses to tin huts, from outback Australia to the Himalayan foothills. For lovers of stats, he has has delivered over 1,600 shows to more than a quarter of a million people at over 500 venues. Country’s he’s been to include, Malaysia, Indonesia, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Iceland, Ethiopia, India and a few, more local, venues.
TV:
Tom’s TV work includes presenting for the BBC, ITV, Sky TV, Discovery, Disney and a load more not well enough known to impress anyone. He has recently filmed his 6th series of Sky One’s highly successful ”Brainiac Science Abuse”. Dr Bunhead has also presented science for both series of BBC’s kids’ science show ”Hyperlinks” plus many other guest appearances on shows such as ”Blue Peter”, ”The Slammer”, ”The Weather Show”, ”Life According To Fred”… and radio appearances on Radio 4’s ”The Material World” and many more.
Over the last two decades Dr Bunhead has toured science shows to theatres and festivals throughout Britain. He also has had several national tours, embracing such venues as The Royal Institution (home of ”The Christmas Lectures”), The Crucible and The Royal Albert Hall. After a much tricky negotiation, Tom brought the first ever live science performance to the West End, over the Christmas period 2004, with his hit show ”Dr Bunhead’s Recipes for Disaster” bridging the gap between science education and the commercially competitive arena of mainstream popular entertainment (with many thanks to DC Entertainment).
Theatre:
Dr Bunhead’s subsequent theatre production, ”Volcano Head One man, one matchstick, one mission”, made its 3rd UK tour in May 2008, following a sell-out run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His show, ”Crash Test Jelly Babies”, toured in 2009. But his proudest moment was entering The Guinness Book of Records for the most potatoes fired from a spud-cannon in 3 minutes. This monumental contribution to science also earned him his 4th Blue Peter badge (none of which he has attempted to sell on E-Bay).
As a science interpreter, Tom has written shows & workshops for primary through to adult level. He has covered everything from photosynthesis to fornication (”The Leaf Factory and The Chemistry of Love & Lust”). The Dr, also provides workshops and training (CPD) for school teachers in delivering ”Lively science for lively minds”. These are in addition to courses for academics (post-graduates to professors) on communicating science to non-specialists.
Education:
Having left the University of Bath with a degree in chemistry and a PGCE in secondary education he spent long enough in retail management for most of his hair to fall out. He then returned to academia, obtaining an M.Sc. (Surface Science & Catalysis) at the University of Liverpool . Several more years in research, at the University of Edinburgh, gained him an M.Phil. in chemistry. His ambition is to one day obtain his Boy Scouts sewing badge. Bored to death in the lab he started doing free science shows for local schools in Edinburgh. This rapidly led to big arguments with his supervisor and a swift change of career. It’s at this point he became, what he pretentiously refers to as, a ‘performance scientist’. Really he just likes showing off and blowing stuff up.
When he’s not writing, performing or testing out new ‘extreme science’ demos he goes rock climbing and cycling (but not at the same time). He is also obsessed with tango dancing and loves ice-skating. He likes milk but no sugar with his tea and a couple of biscuits would be great.
