Clap Back to Reality Winner 2024 and Musical Comedy Awards Finalist 2025 Alex Prescot is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this year with his new comedy show ‘Cosy’. Featuring original songs and improvisation, it will be his first time presenting a full hour of comedy at the festival. I recently had the opportunity to ask the comedian some questions about the show and find out what he’d like to have achieved by the end of August.
How did you get into comedy and performance?
I started doing sketch comedy after meeting my double act partner Nick in an acting class. We did that for about a year but stopped because he wanted to move to Australia…and then he bloody did!
After a year or so of being sad about that, I started performing solo musical comedy and have been slowly working towards my debut ever since (which is about a double act partner breaking up with me and moving to Australia – weird!).
You were at the Edinburgh Fringe last year with the comedy show ‘I’ve Got a Song About That’ and you were also part of the cast of ‘A Jaffa Cake Musical’. How was the experience and what learnings do you hope to take with you into this year’s festival?
Both shows last year thankfully sold well and the audiences were really lovely! However, it was very full on so I know for this year I definitely have to pace myself over the whole month (as ‘A Jaffa Cake Musical’ is returning to Pleasance so I’ll be performing in two shows a day again – eek!).
Oh, and this year I am treating myself to a luxury that last year could only dream of – an actual day off.
In 2025 you are presenting your new show ‘Cosy’ at Underbelly. What inspired the show’s title?
The show talks a lot about when it’s important to step out of your comfort zone and when the comfort zone is actually a perfectly good and nice place to be, thank you very much!
The title also feels like it sums up my style of comedy and how I want to make audiences feel – my director [Ben Target] set me the challenge early on to create the loveliest show of the Fringe (especially given how scared lots of people are at the prospect of crowd work!), so I want to honour that and give everyone a really nice experience!
Audiences are to ‘expect a warm and fuzzy blend of joyful musical comedy and quick-witted improvisation’. What can you tell me about the structure of the show and how you combine original songs with improv?
So the show’s main structure is a break up story, it just happens to be less “romantic partner” and more “comedy double act partner”.
Within that, I chat to audience double acts (or ‘couples’), asking people for break up advice and exploring their relationships with their close friends. These conversations inspire lots of the improvised songs, which are woven together with original songs throughout the show.
You have said that ‘Cosy’ is ‘tailor-made for each audience’, to what extent is every show unique?
Wow, I haven’t answered a ‘to what extent’ question since GCSEs – 10/10 throwback!
So I don’t want to spoil the ending but it is bespoke to every audience to some extent and uses everything we’ve chatted about together up to that point in the ending song – worth staying until the end I reckon!
If you look ahead to the end of the festival, what is one thing that you would like to have achieved by the end of another summer in Edinburgh?
In all honesty, if I get to the end of the month and I have managed to not get super ill, that is all I could ever ask, want and/or desire.
Oh and of course winning Best Newcomer, Best Show and becoming President of the Fringe Society for ever and ever.
Watching ‘Cosy’ at the Edinburgh Fringe
What a brilliant idea of Ben, inspiring Alex to try and create the loveliest show of the Fringe. It sounds like the audience interaction is very well thought out, appealing to both the most willing and unwilling of volunteers. Alex is performing at the Dexter venue at Underbelly Bristo Square from 30th July to 25th August (not 12th). The show starts at 11:45am, with tickets available via the festival’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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