What is geek comedy? It’s an important question, since a) I’ll be writing about it and b) it’s supposedly on the rise. The UK Telegraph recently ran an article titled “Science doesn’t make good comedy? You must be joking…“, in which such luminaries as Robin Ince and Tim Minchin explained why they do material about science. Minchin himself is a self-described “rock ‘n’ roll nerd”, and that’s also the title of the documentary charting his rise to fame.

If someone of Minchin’s calibre and success is a nerd, then surely the pundits must be on to something. But is he a nerd? In what sense? He doesn’t fit the geek comedy stereotype – his scientific, rationalist view is nothing unusual for a left-leaning comedian. He doesn’t do jokes about Rubik’s Cubes, zombies or sci-fi movies. Sure, there’s room for those things in geek comedy, but the stereotype misses the point: you can be geeky about anything. Star Wars, stamps and Dungeons and Dragons are just the familiar tip of the iceberg. Minchin is a “rock ‘n’ roll nerd” not because he’s a nerd who plays rock ‘n’ roll, but because he’s nerdy about rock ‘n’ roll.

To be geeky, all you need to do is be passionately interested in something that most people aren’t – and that’s why it makes such good comedy. Passion gives comedy it’s edge; if the comedian doesn’t care, why should we? But if they do care, then they’re riveting. This geeky passion is what makes Mathew Kenneally and Courteney Hocking great political comedians. It fuels our appreciation of Andy McLelland talking history or music, Simon Pampena teaching us maths, even Asher Treleaven and his terrible literature. (Think I’m stretching this a bit far? Search the online festival programme for “geek” and Treleaven’s show Open Door is the only result.) It’s even possible to be geeky about comedy itself, most noticeably in the deconstructionist musings of ComedyZone’s Laura Davis, the anti-comedy of Nick Sun or the latest character piece from Damian Callinan in which he plays a comedian.

As for evidence this sort of comedy is on the rise, we have plenty of new subjects this year, from newcomers and old hands alike. Miss Kat and Miss Jane (A Stitch in Time, though I’d forgive you for thinking it was a show about Mr. Squiggle’s assistants) are geeking out over fashion, while Danny McGinlay presents not only a solo show about food, but a weekly cook-off between real chefs and comedians this year. The subject of geeky desire isn’t necessarily the focus of the show, either – Dave Bushell and the Suitcase Royale troupe leak their love of music and culture at the seams of their performances, while The Hounds are never far away from a movie pastiche or loving homage, even though their new show is “about” the last bucket of water on Earth.

Really, though, the subject doesn’t matter. If someone truly, madly, geekily loves something – anything at all – then they will capture you with the sheer gravitational pull of that passion. It’s no substitute for good writing and good performance, of course, but it can take an act a long way. I’m hoping to get out there and find it, because the only thing as good as your own passion is someone else’s.

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