I left Rod Quantock’s show with a feeling of existential dread. No, really – dread. Though, I feel I should clarify that this was exactly how he wanted his audience members to feel at the conclusion of his lecture – oops…I mean…comedy performance.

After greeting his students/audience at the door as we trailed in, all the while chatting and playfully cajoling the ones who selected back-row seats, Quantock clarified what his show was about. And it was about reality. It was about the future. It was about a choice. Our choice. Us ticket-holding folk who’d wandered in for a bit of a laugh now had been handed the weight of the world on our shoulders.

I think to survive in today’s world it’s important to learn, but it’s equally important to laugh. Quantock had us doing both. I knew a lot about what he was presenting; the chilling facts on temperature change and countries becoming uninhabitable. The frustration that so many people feel when our governments just aren’t doing enough, or seem to even know enough about the environment and it’s crisis.

If my high-school science teacher had had the wit, character and knowledge that Quantock does, I think I may have entered into conservation at an early age. His passion is obvious, and his delivery is the key. It’s funny, it’s engaging, and it’s scary – all at the same time. The use of his show as a platform should be commended. I’ve seen a lot of comedy shows that I enjoyed, but few I truly ruminated over afterwards. The show made me think. And it made me look at relocating to New Zealand. Thanks for the tip, Rod.

Finished reading this article? You might also like:

• Rod Quantock – The People We Should Eat First (And How To Eat Them)
• PunCast Episode 17 – Rod Quantock
• Quantock: Inspiring Sedition