4 STARS ****
Devon-born and London-based comedian Alex Kitson returns to Edinburgh Fringe with his second stand-up comedy show, This Is Water.
On an unusually warm Tuesday night in Edinburgh, a packed yurt, tucked beneath an underpass, is ready for an hour-long show that Alex describes himself as his ‘perspective of small details in life’.
The comedian even hands out extra free tickets to some audience members willing to sit on the floor – a gesture that reflects his humility and sense of community.
In his solo show, Alex interacts with the audience with sharp, relatable humour rooted in everyday UK life. He weaves personal anecdotes on stage, e.g. how doing groceries in different shops and supermarkets reflects the UK’s class divide (the contrast with ‘Pret a Manger vs Tesco’, he says), or how something as simple as buying chicken can spark an existential crisis.
All these episodes and small details of everyday life act as a mirror to the society we live in, creating a sense of understanding and relatability for the audience.
Alex also recalls a moment when a girl approached him after a show and told him that she loves watching anxious people perform. In a characteristically awkward way, he insists he is not anxious, despite his on stage persona.
But this apparent anxiousness is the result of clever narrative through which the comedian explores themes such as Alpha culture, life as a performer, growing up in the UK, and the pressure of simply existing.
Before the show, SNACK caught up with Alex for a chat about the upcoming performance.
Hello, Alex! Can you tell us a bit about This is Water?
Sure! It’s an hour-long joke show about perspective and making yourself aware of the little things that sometimes we ignore.
I read a review with the statement ‘if philosophy, stand-up, and existential crisis had a baby, it’d be Alex Kitson’. What do you think about that?
I remember reading that. I think they give me too much credit, academically speaking, but it’s all jokes on me. I don’t think my crises are existential, but it’s funny to pretend that these things are. And that’s the whole point of the show: to try to shift your mindset on the small things, which is really hard to do. I just want to make people laugh. I love live comedy, because it lets you say the things that you feel and not feel alone while you do it. I mean, I don’t want people to come in and think this is a smart show, cause it’s not [laughs].
This is your second stand-up comedy at the Fringe. How do you feel about it?
It’s a bit different because now I know how things work and operate, I am a little more secure, and there’s people who come back to your show which is really nice, it’s a calming thing to know what I am doing.
In 2024 you were named one of the Best Fringe Newcomers. Do you feel some pressure this year, after the nomination, or not?
I only feel pressured by the people who came last year and who want to come back again. I just want to be better than the year before, and I don’t want to break this chain. I don’t want people to tell me ‘last year’s show was better’ – that’s the pressure, I think.
How was the writing process for the show?
Quite stressful! I spent six years working on my debut, and a lot of people on paper were like ‘So, what’s next?’. I wanted to come back to the Fringe and do another show, because it was a lot of fun, but at the same time it was a lot of work. I didn’t sleep a lot, I’ve got a [day] job as well, and trying to do both has been tricky. I do everything solo – I don’t have a production company or an agent – so doing all of that is hard, but there’s also satisfaction. I hope that people will like my show this year too! So far I’m glad I did it.
Alex Kitson: This Is Water is on at Big Yurt at Hoots@Potterow, 9pm daily until 25th August.
