Comedian Alex Stringer makes her Edinburgh Fringe debut this year with the show ‘Happy Hour’, in which she discusses her wild drinking days, what led her to rehab, getting sober in 2017, and then finally realising who she really is.

So some serious topics for an hour of comedy, but we’re in good hands. Alex has been a finalist or semi-finalist in an assortment of comedy competitions in recent years, including So You Think You’re Funny, Leicester Square New Comedian Of The Year and the Beat The Frog World Series at Manchester’s The Frog & Bucket comedy club. Not to mention winning this year’s Chortle Hotshot Award.

I wanted to find out more about Alex’s career in stand-up so far and how she went about making a comedy show dealing with some serious life experiences. So I sent some questions in her direction ahead of this August’s Pleasance run.

CC: What is ‘Happy Hour’ about – what story does it tell?
AS: It tells the story of a young funny woman – me – getting sober, who then is left with a version of herself she didn’t foresee. I then invite the audience in on how she’s navigating life now as this new and – maybe minimally – improved Alex!

CC: You’re talking about some quite serious moments in your life. How easy is it to make that funny?
AS: I think I tried to write jokes about some of the hardest parts of my life maybe too early in my comedy career.

I feel like now though, I’m at the perfect time to be able to be okay with the narrative I’m telling, the trauma I’ve experienced – post lots of therapy – and being good enough at writing jokes too!

CC: Is talking about your life experiences in this way daunting? Or liberating maybe?
AS: I keep thinking about my show with this exact feeling!

Any moment, every day in the run up, I can feel scared or proud of how vulnerable I am in what is still a very funny show – promise! Tragedy + time = comedy, remember?

I think vulnerability for a long time was a bad word for me, but in sobriety, it’s the whole point. So I’m trying to lean into it.

CC: What first drew you to stand-up – what made you want to get on stage?
AS: I was doing a comedy course to make a play I was writing funnier. It was run by fellow comic Jane Postlethwaite, who encouraged me to do stand-up. So I did a stand-up course then and the rest, as they say, is history.

CC: You’ve competed in a few stand-up competitions. What are they like? Are they a good way to progress your career as a comedian?
AS: They serve a purpose for sure. I struggle with my nervousness around them sometimes, but otherwise, I’ve found them helpful.

I won Beat The Frog – The Frog & Bucket’s gong show – like five weeks in to doing stand-up. I had no idea people take notice of who wins it, but that kind of got me on people’s radars in the North West.

Sadly, because of timings, some comps I did, the heats were on Zoom, which was a shame. Wonder if perhaps I could have progressed further if not, but I just think that was my journey.

The others I’ve done, I’ve loved and I’d encourage anyone to just bite the bullet and apply. It only brings good exposure I feel, and you get to meet other comics in different parts of the country you’d never meet otherwise, so that’s a huge bonus.

CC: Your show puts a spotlight on binge-drinking culture – how easy is it to be teetotal in the comedy world?
AS: Most comedy venues are places where alcohol is served and you are encouraged to drink, so when I first started, I didn’t know if I’d be able to cope. But I saw it as a place of work and, luckily, it never triggered me.

Lots of comics drink, some shouldn’t, some don’t. Much like in life! I think it’s just more the spaces we frequent enables it more.

CC: You’ve done quite a few work-in-progress performances of this show. How did it evolve over that time?
AS: Haha, that feels like a read! It’s evolved loads, actually, looking back. The first one was just 45 mins on a stage, every joke I could do, no kind of through line at all.

There’s a comedy fan in Manchester, Vicky, who has seen basically every iteration and I think she’d agree, it’s only got better in terms of structure, arc etc.

CC: It’s your Edinburgh Fringe debut, what made you decide to do a full run at the Festival this year?
AS: I’ve been taking a run up for sure! I did my first work-in-progress in November 2023, so I had huge gaps initially and then, now, we’re almost here.

I think once I spoke that first work-in-progress into existence, the final result for me was debuting at Edinburgh, and I couldn’t do last year, so I knew 2025 was the year to go for it. I like multiples of five too.

CC: What are your expectations of doing a full Fringe run? The good and the bad!
AS: The good – I’m told I’ll be a better comic, which is always a good thing. I think having been an attendee to the Fringe for ten plus years but never having done the whole month, I think completing it will feel like a feat in itself!

The bad – be a smally bit broken afterwards – mentally, physically etc. That it may not change my comedy career one iota and I’ll need to be OK with that. I’ll probs get Fringe flu.

CC: What are you planning to do in Edinburgh when you’re not performing the show?
AS: I follow this fella on TikTok who teaches Zumba in Edinburgh and it looks like they have a ball. So I was gonna become his best customer, but looking into it, it seems like he takes summer off?! Part timer!

So probs just grab coffees with mates and try to not talk about comedy or money.

CC: What plans do you have for after the Fringe – for this show and more generally?
AS: Generally – sleep. And go back to work!

And finally see the mates I’ve been threatening coffee with for the past few months that got put on hold for show writing/planning.

For the show? World domination. I defo want to tour it, just if anyone wants to see it!

CC: We know from your shows your opinion of people who text into radio stations – that they should be on some kind of list – what about the people who actually phone-in?
AS: Even worse! I’m of the generation that finds speaking on the phone to people really hard, so I find the idea of this toe curling!

Such a pick-me too! Like, as if you’re mates with Greg James chatting to him on the phone? Get a grip. Burn them at the stake I say.

Alex Stringer performed ‘Happy Hour’ at Pleasance Courtyard at Edinburgh Festival 2025.

LINKS: instagram.com/thealexstringer

Photo: Rebecca Need-Menear