Alice hasn’t performed at the Fringe for about five years. In the intervening time, she’s co-written “Starstruck” with Rose Matafeo, which is how she got on my radar. I came to the show having no idea what to expect. The first 20 minutes were a bit up and down, making me think it was going to be one of those shows where it’s smile-funny, not haha-funny. But it turns out, this is a very, very ‘haha-funny’ show.
The first part of this review is about how she won me—and, I suspect, quite a few other audience members—over with her most excellent brand of comedy and storytelling.
Early on, there’s a part about a cummerbund. I don’t get it, and quite a lot of people don’t seem to either. The room feels a bit awkward, with people actively afraid to admit that they are lost.
“Alice Snedden is haha-funny and a master of vibes.”
Then she moves on to the next story about a car given to her by her brother. It gets stolen. In the UK, you have to have insurance, so of course, she doesn’t have insurance. Smiley funny. She is gifted the car; the way she sees it, the car is a gift to the thief. The car is with God now. It’s a bit haha funny.
At this point, you are expecting a show of anecdotes. Then one of the central themes of the show starts to emerge—Alice can never. be. wrong. Except for one time. Alice tells us that story. Also haha funny.
Alice circles back to a previous story. She gets a bit ranty now. But now you’re on board—the show has become consistently haha funny.
With this show, Alice clearly shows she is a master of vibes. Her fun anecdotes are skillfully interwoven into the main story. It is a slow start, but once she gets going, it’s brilliant.
The conclusion to Alice’s central story is definitely a surprise. Well done to Alice for writing a show that so skillfully takes the audience on twists and turns through the story. And then there’s the actual show end—that’s definitely out of the blue. But at this point, we shouldn’t really be surprised because hilarious misdirection is what Alice has done the whole show. It’s a very fun ending, very endearing and vulnerable.
It is just tempered a bit by the fact that she shouts at the audience to get out. Once is funny. The second and third time, people are verging on a bit scared and don’t want to be the last ones leaving. I can see why it is funny—but people are on a high and you take it away for no real reason.
Alice is clearly a skilled comedy writer, and in last night’s show, she showed that she’s also great at thinking on her feet. There was an interaction with an audience member at the start, who then became her ‘cousin’ Rebecca. Alice reuses that interaction throughout the show, seamlessly incorporating it and demonstrating her experience as a comedian.
Show Details
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard – Upstairs
Dates: Jul 31 Aug 1-13, 15-25
Showtimes: 20:10
Running Time: 1 hour
Age Recommendation: 14+
Price: From £10 (concessions available)
Accessibility
The performance space, ‘Upstairs’, is wheelchair accessible.
The venue, ‘Pleasance Courtyard’, has provided the following accessibility information: ‘A full accessibility guide can be found at http://www.pleasance.co.uk. Customers with access requirements are encouraged to contact the venue in advance and to make themselves known to a member of the team upon arrival. Full venue site is accessible, Wheelchair accessible toilet, No reserved accessible parking, No on street blue badge parking, Assistance dogs welcome in all areas. The Pleasance Courtyard is located uphill when accessing the venue from Cowgate. The outdoor spaces of the venue are a mix of cobblestones and tarmacked surfaces’.
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