Pestival

Pestival Curators of insect eco-entertainment, showcasing the ingenuity of insects through arts & culture
WINNERS OF: The Observer Ethical Awards 2010: Conservation

14/07/2026

Zombie Ant Fungus comes to BBC Radio 4

The Art of Being a Zombie Ant Fungus is a new BBC Radio 4 documentary and companion piece to Pestival’s Royal Institution event, Zombie Ant Fungus: The Chemistry of Control.

Created and produced by Bridget Nicholls, the original show was written and directed by Wade McCollum, who also performs in the production and composed its music. It premiered as a Pestival commission at the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

Exploring the extraordinary relationship between parasitic fungi and their ant hosts, the documentary delves into the science—and the unsettling questions of behaviour, autonomy and control—at the heart of the live show.

Listen on BBC Radio 4:

Wednesday 15 July 2026 at 3:30pm
Tuesday 21 July 2026 at 9:00pm

Also available on BBC Sounds. Link in bio

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002yx7w Cultural entomologist Bridget Nicholls investigates an ...
06/07/2026

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002yx7w Cultural entomologist Bridget Nicholls investigates an intriguing natural phenomenon.

An ant becomes infected by a fungus which takes over its nervous system, turning the ant into a vehicle for the fungus’s reproduction and killing the ant in the process. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s happening in rainforests around the world.

It’s a parasitic relationship that has inspired the TV series The Last of Us, but it also reveals a great deal about control, autonomy and the interconnectedness of the natural world.

With:

Merlin Sheldrake, mycologist and writer

Philip Ball, science writer

Mark Brown, director of the University Museum of Zoology at Cambridge University

Nura Sidarus, Lecturer in Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London

Lore Lixenberg, mezzo-soprano and sound artist

and

Jason Singh, sound artist and composer. Jason’s recordings and compositions feature throughout this documentary.

Zombie Ant Fungus: The chemistry of Control is a show created and produced by Bridget Nicholls, and written and directed by Wade McCollum who also performs in the show and composed its music. The original production premiered as a Pestival commission at the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

Presenter: Bridget Nicholls

Producer: Eliane Glaser

“Zombie Ant Fungus was one of the most unique events at the Royal Institution in recent memory. As a boundary-pushing bl...
29/05/2026

“Zombie Ant Fungus was one of the most unique events at the Royal Institution in recent memory. As a boundary-pushing blend of science and performance, it challenged and excited audiences in equal measure. The Theatre at the Royal Institution has been the stage for many great firsts – and to add ‘world’s first musical performance about zombie-ant fungus’ to that list has been unforgettable.” Chris Witham, Public Programmes Manager, The Royal Institution

“Zombie Ant Fungus is a work of creative genius, powered by mesmerising contemporary dance and biomimetic song, that dar...
21/05/2026

“Zombie Ant Fungus is a work of creative genius, powered by mesmerising contemporary dance and biomimetic song, that dares to imagine how a deadly mind-controlling fungus could reinvent its relationship with its victim. It’s mad, brilliant and unlike anything you’ve seen before.” Jono Walter, Writer & Moderator

“I didn’t know what cultural entomologists did before seeing Pestival’s exhilarating insect bachanal. But her fungal aci...
16/05/2026

“I didn’t know what cultural entomologists did before seeing Pestival’s exhilarating insect bachanal. But her fungal acid trip revealed that this rare species of visionaries is clearly as vital to our world as their beloved insects. The show unfolded like a lucid delerium - feverish, mycellial and utterly brilliant. I learnt so much; I’m still metabolising it.” Sally Chatterton, Editor Unherd

“Funny, freaky and fabulous fun for all the family. See it now before becoming a zombie mushroom!” Cosmo Landesman, The ...
15/05/2026

“Funny, freaky and fabulous fun for all the family. See it now before becoming a zombie mushroom!” Cosmo Landesman, The Spectator

“A massively ambitious and creatively staged imagining that didn’t just ask the big questions but presented them in such...
15/05/2026

“A massively ambitious and creatively staged imagining that didn’t just ask the big questions but presented them in such an inspired way that at points I really couldn’t tell what was performance and what was real. Funny, poignant, thought provoking and inspiring. I’ve seen nothing like it.” David Keenan Writer and Author

“We’re never alone: the mycelia are with us. If that sounds a bit mad, yes, it is a bit MAD - in the best possible way. ...
15/05/2026

“We’re never alone: the mycelia are with us. If that sounds a bit mad, yes, it is a bit MAD - in the best possible way. I can’t recommendation it enough.” Rowen Pelling- Editor, Perspective, writer Daily Telegraph, Independent, former editor The Erotic Review and Amorist

"We're never alone: the mycelia are with us. If that sounds a bit mad, yes, it is a bit MAD - in the best possible way. ...
14/05/2026

"We're never alone: the mycelia are with us. If that sounds a bit mad, yes, it is a bit MAD - in the best possible way. I can't recommendation it enough." Rowen Pelling- Editor, Perspective, writer Daily Telegraph, Independent, former editor The Erotic Review and Amorist

This weekend! Zombie Ant Fungus arrives at The Royal Institution. Don't miss an explosive evening of art, science and pe...
05/05/2026

This weekend! Zombie Ant Fungus arrives at The Royal Institution. Don't miss an explosive evening of art, science and performance. Tickets in bio

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