David Epley brings the high-energy Doktor Kaboom and the Wheel of Science! to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, blending comedy with live science experiments in an interactive family show. A global hit, the production invites audiences to experience science in a fun and engaging way.
Created and performed by Epley, the show combines unpredictable outcomes with educational entertainment, as a simple spin of a wheel determines the experiments performed live on stage. It is a unique mix of laughter, learning and audience participation.
Doktor Kaboom and the Wheel of Science! runs at Pleasance Courtyard (Beyond) from 5–16 August at 13:30 (14:30). Tickets are available here
You’re the creator and performer of Doktor Kaboom and the Wheel of Science! at Pleasance Courtyard. What can you tell us about the show?
It is an hour of high-energy “edutainment” comedy chaos.
I’ve taken my favourite, most spectacular science experiments, hovercrafts, chemical reactions and banana-catapults, and put them on a giant, spinning Wheel of Science.
Wherever the wheel stops, that’s what happens next.
It’s live, unpredictable, and designed to prove that science is not just a subject in a textbook, but a tool for exploration and joy that belongs to everyone.
What inspired you to combine live science experiments with comedy and audience interaction in this format?
My two great passions have always been science and performance.
For a long time, I saw them as separate worlds, but I realised that science is drama. It’s about curiosity, the tension of the unknown, and the pure joy of a “eureka!” moment.
I created the Doktor to break down the walls around science.
When you add comedy and interaction, you lower the barrier to entry. If people are laughing, they’re listening.
And once they’re listening, we can show them how brilliant they truly are.
The show is shaped by the spin of a wheel. How does that unpredictability influence your performance each day?
I’ve been performing as Doktor Kaboom for almost 20 years.
The Wheel is my antidote to the 3,000-show slump. If I were doing the same demos and routines every day, I’d risk finding myself on autopilot.
With the Wheel, I’m constantly in active response mode. I have to manage the energy of the room, adapt my explanations to the specific kids on stage, and keep the show flowing regardless of what the wheel dictates.
It keeps me sharp, it keeps the audience invested, and it ensures that no two shows, and no two days, are ever the same!
You have been touring as Doktor Kaboom for many years. How has the show evolved over time, especially for Edinburgh Fringe audiences?
The core, personal empowerment and accessible science, has never changed.
But the precision has.
Nineteen years in, I’ve refined how I translate complex ideas into human terms.
Edinburgh audiences are incredibly savvy; they appreciate the craft behind the comedy.
Over my five years here, I’ve learned to lean into the intelligence of the crowd. I don’t dumb down the science for kids or the comedy for adults.
I find the middle ground where both groups are challenged and delighted.
My ultimate goal is to create moments of joy for families to share together, and recall for years to come. Edinburgh is the perfect place to do this.
The production aims to spark curiosity in young minds. What do you hope audiences, both children and adults, take away from the experience?
I want them to leave with two things: confidence and curiosity.
I want every child to walk out of that venue thinking, “I am intelligent, I am capable, and I can understand how the world works.”
And for the parents? I want them to reclaim their own sense of wonder.
If I can get an adult to look at a chemical reaction or a physical principle and say, “Wait, we could do that at home!” that’s a win.
I like to say science is like Shakespeare. It’s not meant to be read; it’s meant to be done.
And like comedy, science is for everyone, regardless of age.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Doktor Kaboom and the Wheel of Science!?
Come prepared to play, to be part of the experiment.
You are the co-pilot of this show.
That being said, I never force anyone to participate. If what you want is to sit back, relax and watch, I will totally respect your choice.
As I often tell my volunteers, “You are in charge of you”.
Also, you don’t even have to have kids! I regularly have groups of adults in the audience laughing along with the families.
Whether you’re a science geek, a comedy fan, or just someone looking for an hour of pure, unpredictable joy, we’ll find something to blow your mind.
It’s sometimes loud, it’s always messy, and it might just change the way you see the world around you.
Step right up, the wheel is waiting!
