Robert Newman's History of Oil

This 45 minute video was filmed at London's Hoxton Hall on May 26, 2006. It's insightful and challenging, engaging and at times very funny. If the video appears dark at times, it's because the audience members pedaling the generators that powered the lights in this "carbon-neutral" performance, were flagging. Newman doesn't flag, however. Well worth 45 minutes of your time.

The Google blurb:

"Robert Newman gets to grips with the wars and politics of the last hundred years - but rather than adhering to the history we were fed at school, he places oil centre stage as the cause of all commotion. This innovative history programme is based around Robert Newman's stand-up act and supported by resourceful archive sequences and stills with satirical impersonations of historical figures from Mayan priests to Archduke Ferdinand. Quirky details such as a bicycle powered street lamp on the stage brings home the pertinent question of just how we are going to survive when the world's oil supplies are finally exhausted."

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7374585792978336967

This headline from the Times in 2002, "West Sees Glittering Prizes Ahead in Giant Oilfields", is just one citation in Newmans telling of modern geo-politics.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/oil/2002/0711giants.htm

Newman's retelling of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on first" routine, is damn clever.

Robert Newman's website:
http://www.robnewman.com/index.html

Enjoy.