Brunel Museum to host one-night comedy celebration of engineering genius

This spring, the Brunel Museum will swap hard hats for punchlines as it presents a special one-night comedy event, Engineering is a Joke, on Wednesday 4 March 2026.

Taking place from 6pm to 9pm at the Museum’s iconic Tunnel Shaft in Rotherhithe, the evening forms part of its wider French Révolution season and promises sharp, intelligent stand-up inspired by science, design and history.

A line-up of brainy brilliance

Hosted by science communicator and founder of Science Show-off, Steve Cross, the event brings together a line-up of performers who combine academic expertise with comic flair.

Leading the bill is Shiv Kapila (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025; Backyard Comedy Club), a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cambridge. Known for blending warmth and self-aware reflections on doctoral life, Kapila delivers precisely crafted punchlines that bring aerospace engineering down to earth.

He is joined by Funny Women Finalist and West End New Act of the Year winner Shalaka Kurup (Get A Grip, Edinburgh Fringe 2025; Comedy Central Live), one of the most distinctive emerging voices on the UK comedy circuit.

Also appearing is Oliver Broadbent, a writer, designer and international speaker whose engaging performance style offers thoughtful insights into design and creativity. As the 2020 recipient of the Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education, Broadbent combines practical expertise with humour to illuminating effect.

Completing the line-up is James Connolly, Associate Professor of Modern French History at UCL, who weaves true stories, personal experiences and historical facts into clever puns and quick-witted routines.

Comedy in a historic setting

The event will take place inside the spectacular Grade II* listed Tunnel Shaft, part of the world-famous Thames Tunnel. Built by Marc Brunel with the assistance of his son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Thames Tunnel was the first tunnel constructed beneath a navigable river. Opened in 1843, it remains the oldest underwater tunnel in the world and now forms part of London’s Overground network.

Visitors to the Museum descend 40 feet underground into the grand entrance hall that once welcomed Victorian crowds — and even hosted the world’s first underwater concert party in 1827.

Katherine McAlpine, Director of the Brunel Museum, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome some of the most exciting comedians to our iconic Tunnel Shaft at Brunel Museum. The Brunels were famous for trying inventive and innovative ways of bringing their ideas to life, so we’re excited to be doing the same to engineering, by using humour. The Thames Tunnel was a space for Fancy Fairs, with a range of diverse acts and events, so we’re delighted to be continuing that tradition.”

Part of the French Révolution season

Engineering is a Joke forms part of the Museum’s French Révolution season, which runs until Monday 13 April 2026. Alongside live performance, the programme includes:

• Guided tours on the second weekend of every month

• National Lottery Open Week with free entry on 14–15 March

• Unearthing Innovation: 200 Years of Tunnelling, marking the 183rd anniversary of the Thames Tunnel’s opening on 25 March

Event details

Title: Engineering is a Joke
Date: Wednesday 4 March 2026
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF
Website: thebrunelmuseum.com
Social media: @BrunelMuseum

With engineering insight, historical wit and plenty of laughter, this one-off evening promises to prove that even the most serious subjects can deliver the biggest laughs — especially 40 feet underground.