Comedian Alex Kitson Makes His Edinburgh Fringe Debut

For his debut hour, exciting new act Alex Kitson ( brings a wild ride of a story to the Edinburgh Fringe about how to keep laughing, even through the lowest moments. Must I Paint You a Picture? is centred around two stories six years apart.

The first is the worst night of Kitson's life. It's 2016, the night of the Brexit vote (only part of the reason) and Alex is a teenager fulfilling a Devonian politics nerd's life ambition: a trip to America to see the country where apparently anything is possible. Quickly running out of money, he is lured to the forests of the Catskills and sexually assaulted.

Six years later, having retreated back to the West Country, never telling anyone what happened that night, there's a devastating double-whammy. Dumped for being too chaotic by "the one" that he put on a pedestal and receiving some far-from-ideal career news, Alex is taken right back to how he felt in 2016 - the last time he had dared to hope for more. But for things to get better, you need to first believe they can. Despite how we act a lot of the time, optimism and naivety aren't synonymous. The world is way less scary when we laugh at it together and when you rediscover the hope you may have lost along the way. So, it's time for Kitson to stop hiding and tell the truth - it's time for him to paint you a picture.

Must I Paint You a Picture? runs at Hootenannnies @ Potterow (Wee Yurt), 2-25 August @ 10.55pm - tickets available here

Alex Kitson is an "on the money funny" award-winning stand-up comedian, performer and writer. He has performed across the UK, written for the BBC ('Incredible...so clever' - BBC Radio Bristol), Channel 4 and online content with millions of views. He has been on bills alongside Russell Howard, Jon Richardson, Nish Kumar, Seann Walsh, Rosie Jones, Mark Watson, Russell Kane, Fin Taylor and Jayde Adams, among many others.

Alex reached the top 12 of Jason Manford's New Act Competition in 2019, and, in 2020, he was a finalist in the First Laugh and New UK Online Comedian of the Year competitions. He also performed in two five-star runs at the Edinburgh Fringe with the Bristol Reunions ('The entire ensemble is hilarious. Properly, effortlessly, hilarious' - EdFringe Review). He founded and was resident MC of several of Bristol's best comedy nights including This Next Act and White Bear Comedy Club.

After the pandemic, Alex took an hour of stand-up around the country to critical acclaim in London, Southampton, Brighton, Exeter, Bath and Bristol, culminating in a sell-out show in Bristol and winning the Bath Comedy Festival Award for Best Joke 2021. In 2022, he was a Finalist in Bath New Act of the Year, went full-time doing comedy, was selected to host the prestigious 2022 AAA Showcase in the Pleasance Courtyard during the Edinburgh Fringe and began regularly headlining gigs in the West Country. In 2023, he moved to London was nominated for the Best of Brighton Fringe Comedy Award for his debut WIP show, sold out the Bill Murray in London and enjoyed a successful WIP run at the Edinburgh Fringe. 2024 will be his first full hour of stand-up at the Edinburgh Fringe. Alex has been tour support for Tom Houghton, Tom Ward and Vittorio Angelone.

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