Alice Fraser is an award-winning comedian and book writer. This year she has written a book, toured with two shows, and managed two children. This summer she returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her brand new stand up show Oh Man! Over the next few years, she is planning to focus on more books, less touring, and keeping the exact same number of children.
How did you get into comedy?
I started at university because I was bad at it and had a crippling fear of failure. I thought it was worth putting some work in to overcome that fear by failing in a space where there were no stakes for me. Then I got addicted to the process of getting good by being bad, and I haven’t stopped being bad at comedy and getting better ever since.
Tell us about your comedy style.
Nerdy, wordy, silly, and philosophical. I tend to veer wildly between things that make me laugh and things that make me want to cry. I am very interested in making people feel human and making people conscious of the humanity of the people around them.
What’s your show about?
This year’s show is called Oh Man!, and it is about masculinity, winner-takes-all capitalism, and teaching a sentient Roomba to be a real boy.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Everywhere. Books, the birds. I try to avoid algorithms as much as I can, because I am pretty sure I can diagnose the podcasts a comedian listens to within the first five minutes of their set.
What have you been working on recently?
I’ve just finished writing a fantasy novel, which was a blast and has really inspired me to do a lot more book writing. I run writers’ retreats in the Swiss Alps every year and writers’ meetings twice a week on Zoom, and that is so nourishing. Helping other people get their stuff out into the world feels very satisfying, and I am a big believer that just having someone on your side who gives a shit about what you are doing is a make-or-breaker.
What do you love about comedy and writing?
Making sense out of chaos. Lining up words and meaning into an undeniable weapon, and driving it into the point you want to make.
Keep up to date with and follow Alice Fraser on Bluesky, Instagram, and X.
Tickets and more information for Oh Man! can be found here!
