Alex Berr is is an American comedian and scientist. While earning her PhD in Biomedical Engineering in Chicago, she started performing stand up and improv comedy. She is now based in London. She is bringing her debut show ‘How to Kill a Mouse’ to the Fringe, after a work-in-progress run in 2024. We spoke to Alex about the show, its intensely personal context, and her podcast Uncontrolled Variables.

Can you tell us about ‘How to Kill a Mouse’?

It’s a story about science, cancer, and grief. I studied biomedical engineering and spent most of my career doing cancer research. While doing my PhD, my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer, and it changed the way I thought about my work. The show is ultimately about the value we derive from our jobs. It sounds depressing, but it’s fun, I promise!

For those coming to you for the first time, how would you describe your approach to comedy?

I love intensely personal comedy; I reveal a lot about myself in my show. I also love dark and very silly comedy, and I think I strike a balance of both in this show.

The basis of the show comes from a deep loss for you. How do you find the humour in the situation and incorporate it into the show?

I think that’s part of the challenge of writing a show like this – having to relive some heavy moments in my life. However, the process has been fun and rewarding and almost therapeutic.

You were at the Fringe last year with a work-in-progress version of the show. How has the show changed and developed over the last year?

I’ve been working with director/comedian Michael May to essentially rewrite the show for this year’s Fringe. I have more of a thesis to this show – it’s less of an amorphous blob of material. Some of the same bits are there, but I’ve also embraced ‘killing my darlings’ regarding jokes that don’t work in the context of the story. I’ve worked really hard to make this show much more narratively satisfying and to cut out any dead weight.

This is your full debut Fringe show. What are your hopes and expectations for August?

I’m hoping to have fun and put on the best show possible. I especially love connecting with audience members who work in science or have lost parents. I also expect to do lots of karaoke and get very little sleep.

Apart from your show, what else are you looking forward to (or even perhaps dreading) about the Fringe?

I’m so excited to see as many shows as possible.

Beside ’How to Kill a Mouse’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August?

Beyond doing my show every day?? Good god, what more do you want from me??

You also host the science-comedy show and podcast Uncontrolled Variables. Can you tell us about that, and do you have any dream guests (comedians or scientists)?

I started the live show in Chicago in 2021. We have scientists prepare several slides about their research; comedians have to present these slides (without ever having seen them) before the scientists explain what the slides actually mean. It’s very silly but audiences usually walk away having learned something new!

I find most scientists fascinating because, to be a successful scientist, you have to be incredibly passionate about a niche topic. I’m interested in the sacrifices scientists make to pursue this career, and what’s at the root of that desire. That’s why the Uncontrolled Variables podcast is about the lives of scientists, and not about their science necessarily.

I like having grad students on the show because they are typically very excited about their work and are the ones actually in the lab collecting data. Dream comedy guests would be Paul F. Tompkins, Chris Fleming, Tina Fey.

Are there any other acts at the Fringe that you would recommend audiences see?

So many! Terence Hartnett, Rima Parikh, Behind (Sibet Partee), Mr. Cardboard, Andrew Doherty, Candace Bryan, Kate Sharp, Doktor Kaboom, ‘Fuselage‘, Sharon Wanjohi, Thor Stenhaug.

‘How to Kill a Mouse‘ is at Just the Tonic at The Mash House – Just the Snifter Room from Thu 31 Jul to Sun 24 Aug 2025 at 12:35