Bristol-bred, Barcelona-based Alec Snook is decomposing, live.

Join him for his debut solo show, a joyously absurd journey that takes a light (and sometimes dark) -hearted look at our fleeting passage through this life and the celebratory nature with which to manage slow decline.

Having performed in the UK, Europe, at festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and reaching the final of the Barcelona International Comedy Festival, Snook's topics swing as wildly as his mental state, covering themes such as loss; colourblindness; royal funerals; narrowboat tragedies; and the crushing weight of representing the bald community.

Expressed as an equation, Snook is:

Whimsy x Wordplay ÷ Dark Absurdity - integrity.

August 21, 2024    Broadway Baby

Alec Snook is incredibly hyper aware. He shares that he is ‘decomposing’ because he has tinnitus, colour-blindness and is “like genetically-modified grapes: completely seedless.” Off top, he lets us know that “this is a show about loss in its different forms, largely because I keep losing pockets of the audience throughout the hour.” He is so hyper aware, he goes as far as having a ‘lull bell’ that he rings when a joke doesn’t land as well and encourages us to also get up and ring the bell if we feel necessary (though he does warn he will lash out if anyone approaches). This from a man who starts his show with an interpretative dance and bursts into song by way of seemless transitions.

Simply put, Alec’s show isn’t a typical ‘dead parent’ show; he actually describes his mum’s funeral as the second-best one he’s ever been to, so it’s not him excavating that for an hour. Instead, we get his whimsical takes on the truer aspects of his life coupled with absurdist left turns, made even funnier in his droll, Bristolian lilt.

Each line seems to have been painstakingly crafted, but unfortunately some quips (like “that one word would be ‘partially colour blind’”) don’t get the laughs they deserve from a midday crowd, who for some Decomposing, Live is their first show of the day.

Alec says he is socially awkward which comes across with some of his attempts at crowdwork, which also breaks us out of the stable loose cannon persona we are expected to buy into in order for the more offbeat jokes to work. A minor quibble for what is overall a great debut solo show.

At the time of writing, Alec has made two ‘Funniest Jokes of the Fringe’ lists, which is a testament to some of the hidden gems that the Free Fringe helps unearth. Alec may claim to be decomposing (live) but he takes us on a joyous ride while doing so. Click Here For Review

August 20, 2024    Broadway Baby

Decomposing, Live

Alec Snook is incredibly hyper aware. He shares that he is ‘decomposing’ because he has tinnitus, colour-blindness and is “like genetically-modified grapes: completely seedless.” Off top, he lets us know that “this is a show about loss in its different forms, largely because I keep losing pockets of the audience throughout the hour.” He is so hyper aware, he goes as far as having a ‘lull bell’ that he rings when a joke doesn’t land as well and encourages us to also get up and ring the bell if we feel necessary (though he does warn he will lash out if anyone approaches). This from a man who starts his show with an interpretative dance and bursts into song by way of seemless transitions.

Alec has made two ‘Funniest Jokes of the Fringe’ lists, which is a testament to some of the hidden gems that the Free Fringe helps unearth

Simply put, Alec’s show isn’t a typical ‘dead parent’ show; he actually describes his mum’s funeral as the second-best one he’s ever been to, so it’s not him excavating that for an hour. Instead, we get his whimsical takes on the truer aspects of his life coupled with absurdist left turns, made even funnier in his droll, Bristolian lilt.

Each line seems to have been painstakingly crafted, but unfortunately some quips (like “that one word would be ‘partially colour blind’”) don’t get the laughs they deserve from a midday crowd, who for some Decomposing, Live is their first show of the day.

Alec says he is socially awkward which comes across with some of his attempts at crowdwork, which also breaks us out of the stable loose cannon persona we are expected to buy into in order for the more offbeat jokes to work. A minor quibble for what is overall a great debut solo show.

At the time of writing, Alec has made two ‘Funniest Jokes of the Fringe’ lists, which is a testament to some of the hidden gems that the Free Fringe helps unearth. Alec may claim to be decomposing (live) but he takes us on a joyous ride while doing so. Click Here For Review

August 19, 2024   UK TV

U&Dave's Joke of the Fringe 2024

U&DAVE’S JOKE OF THE FRINGE 2024

10 FUNNIEST GAGS OF THE 2024 EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL REVEALED

Comedian Mark Simmons wins ‘U&Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe’ Award with: 'I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship but I bottled it’.

When asked to select a top three, U&Dave’s Top 10 Funniest Jokes of the Fringe Festival 2024 revealed:

- I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship but I bottled it. - Mark Simmons

- I've been taking salsa lessons for months, but I just don't feel like I'm progressing. It's just one step forward... two steps back. - Alec Snook

- Ate horse at a restaurant once - wasn’t great. Starter was all right but the mane was dreadful. - Alex Kitson

- I sailed through my driving test. That’s why I failed it. - Arthur Smith

- I love the Olympics. My friend and I invented a new type of relay baton: well, he came up with the idea, I ran with it.- Mark Simmons

- My dad used to say to me “Pints, gallons, litres” – which, I think, speaks volumes - Olaf Falafel

- British etiquette is confusing. Why is it highbrow to look at boobs in an art gallery but lowbrow when I get them out in Spoons? - Chelsea Birkby

- I wanted to know which came first the chicken or the egg so I bought a chicken and then I bought an egg and I think I've cracked it. - Masai Graham

- My partner told me that she’d never seen the film Gaslight. I told her that she definitely had - Zoë Coombs Marr Click Here For Article

August 16, 2024    The List

Alec Snook: Decomposing, Live comedy review – Revelling in strangeness

In a world of trauma dumps and overshares, there’s something comforting about Alec Snook’s approach to mining his misery for comedy. There are no critical moments of revelation in his ragtag hour about death, nor is there a sudden moment when jokes dissipate to reveal a searing inner truth about his night terrors or disastrous marriage. Instead, he’s happy to play the oddball with off-the-wall gags, sudden bursts of song and lascivious silliness about his time in a petting zoo.

Grounding 'Decomposing, Live' is the passing of Snook’s mother and his sudden urge to be funny while delivering her eulogy. Yet much of his material is unapologetically leftfield, seemingly satisfied with some of his punchlines unsettling audiences more than making them laugh (although plenty unambiguously hit the mark). Amidst his low-key strangeness, there are plenty of strong gags and a few anecdotes that are crying out for a sturdier anchor.

Alec Snook: Decomposing, Live, Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, until 25 August, noon; main picture: Oli Bussell.
 Click Here For Review

August 7, 2024   The Telegraph

Funniest Jokes from the Edinburgh Fringe 2024, from Ed Patrick to Alec Snook

Funniest jokes from the Edinburgh Fringe 2024, from Ed Patrick to Alec Snook
We asked comedians at this year’s comedy festival to send in their best lines – vote for your favourite below...

The Edinburgh Fringe is a rite of passage for many comedians. Despite the yearly moans about rent costs, clueless punters and the ever-shrinking pool of decent places to get a kebab at 5am, comedy’s young guns – and old hands – still flock up north every August to try their luck.

But a comedian is only as strong as their last gag. Of course, lots of other factors are also at play – delivery, ambience, how p–ssed the punters are – but ultimately a set stands or falls on the quality of the joke. If it doesn’t make you laugh when written down, in the cold light of day, is it even funny?

This, then, is a brutal test of witticisms. Comedians headed to the Fringe this year sent in their best shots – and you get to make the call on which is funniest.

Alec Snook
I’ve been taking salsa lessons for months, but I just don’t feel like I’m progressing. It’s just one step forward...two steps back.

Alec Snook: Decomposing, Live, Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12pm, Aug 10-25 Click Here For Article

August 2, 2024   European Comedy.com

Alec Snook May Be ‘Decomposing’ But His Comedy Is in Tiptop Shape!

Late on the Sunday night of an intensive weekend of Fringe preview shows, Alec Snook’s debut solo hour, Decomposing, Live, has garnered a cosy crowd of 15 or so. Luke Messina, Alec's good friend and a local favourite comedian and producer, has warmed up the crowd nicely.

Alec comes onto the stage in a typically untypical way, immediately setting the tone for the show before even saying a word. But hang on a minute: it seems like something is amiss…

Alec Snook looks at camera against blue background
And thus we are launched face-first into an hour-long “joyous journey into general decline through short tales, absurdist detours and outraged storytelling”. We hear about the various ways Alec is ‘decomposing’, such as tinnitus, colour-blindness, and the long-term effects of too much hotdog brine; we discover what he has in common with street artist Banksy; we learn that he’s divorced (“Little bit of gossip for you…”); we hear about his forays into the world of dating apps (but trust me, I can 100% guarantee you’ve never heard this angle from any other comedian); and we find out why his mum’s funeral was only the second-best one he’s been to…

Yes, there is a poignancy underpinning Alec’s show: he tells us how he began writing his first comedy set in parallel with writing his beloved mum’s eulogy, as a coping mechanism. But this isn’t your typical ‘dead parent show’. Or any kind of typical show, come to that. Every second of it is delightfully surprising, as he weaves together moments of sincerity and true (but still absurd) stories with the gleefully surreal ones.

It’s a wild and wonderful ride. The audience is fully there for it, with the top down and the hilarious, weird wind in our hair.

Decomposing, Live’s blurb reads: “Expressed as an equation, Snook is: whimsy x wordplay ÷ dark absurdity – integrity.”

Don’t believe the last part though. Between you and me, Alec Snook’s personal and artistic integrity are unrivalled. Just don’t leave your jar of bratwurst unattended …

Decomposing, Live runs Aug. 2-25 at Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters in the Wee Room. Pay-what-you-want and ticket information can be found on the Edinburgh Fringe website. Click Here For Article