I did a stand-up set on religion and science at the Leviathan Cabaret in the new Science Gallery in Trinity College this evening.

For the uninitiated, Leviathan is a cabaret evening which brings together film-makers, politicians, commentators, comedians, song-writers and the public to explore issues of the day. Typically, there’s an amusing musical section, a short film or animated sequence, a stand-up comedian and a main panel discussion with comments from the floor.

In possibly the nerdiest milestone of my career (so far), tonight’s stand-up performance makes me the first person in Leviathan’s history to contribute separately as a musician, comedian and panellist. Back in my song-writing days I performed some satirical numbers alongside a group called ‘White Cholera’. And in 2007, I was invited onto a panel alongside the Director of the Israeli Government Press Office Daniel Seaman and Delegate-General of Palestine to Ireland, Dr. Hikmat Ajjuri. We were debating whether the Irish media is biased about the Middle East.

For some reason, this makes the geeky/trivia side of my brain very happy.

Tonight’s event – on the subject ‘Is Religion Infectious?’ – was brilliantly chaired by the BBC’s William Crawley who injected considerable humour, knowledge and mischief into the discussion without ever becoming more important than his guests. These included Mick Nugent of Atheists Ireland; an intriguing young theologian named Gerard Rory, and the head of the Irish Church of Scientology. I opened the show with a 20 minute stand-up set on the subject of religion and science.

Highlights of the evening included the Head of Scientology Ireland incorrectly explaining the origin of the word ‘Scientology’, and Mick Nugent’s defence of Richard Dawkins: ‘Militant Muslims Fly Planes into Buildings; Militant Christians Bomb Abortion Clinics; Militant Atheists Write Books’.