Alice Snedden is a New Zealand stand-up comedian, television writer and actress. First working as a writer on New Zealand comedy shows such as Funny Girls, Jono and Ben and 7 Days, Snedden created the series Alice Snedden's Bad News, a documentary-comedy series written by and starring herself. In 2021, she co-wrote the BBC comedy series Starstruck alongside Rose Matafeo, who co-wrote and starred in the production.

Alice Snedden
Born1987/1988[1]
Auckland, New Zealand[2]
Occupation(s)Comedian, writer, actress
Years active2016–present
RelativesWarwick Snedden (grandfather)
Martin Snedden (uncle)
Michael Snedden (cousin)
Nessie Snedden (great-grandfather)
Colin Snedden (great-uncle)

Early life

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Snedden grew up in Auckland,[2] the youngest of five children in a Catholic family.[3][4] Her father Patrick Snedden ran a publishing company,[4][2] and since has had positions including the chairman of The Big Idea, Housing New Zealand Corporation, Auckland District Health Board and director of the Ports of Auckland.[5][6] Snedden comes from an extended family of professional cricket players,[7] including Warwick Snedden, Nessie Snedden, Colin Snedden, Martin Snedden and Michael Snedden. Snedden attended the University of Otago, first studying physical education and politics before deciding to study law.[1] Snedden graduated and was admitted to the bar, however has never practiced law.[1] The night before she was admitted to the bar, Snedden performed her first stand-up comedy set.[1]

Career

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To save money for a trip to New York, Snedden got a job at The Basement Theatre in Auckland.[1] Comedian Eli Matthewson encouraged her to try out for the comedy improv show SNORT (which included a cast of Rose Matafeo and Laura Daniel), which developed Snedden's love of comedy and improvisation.[1] When Snedden travelled to the United States, she enrolled at the Upright Citizens Brigade.[1]

After returning to New Zealand, Snedden met with producer Bronwynn Bakker in order to write for season two of the Rose Matafeo comedy show Funny Girls.[1] Bakker was impressed by Snedden's pitches, and employed her for both Funny Girls and Bakker's other comedy programme Jono and Ben.[1] In 2016, Snedden became a columnist for Stuff and the Sunday Star-Times.[1] During the same period, Snedden began to work for the panel show 7 Days, first as a writer and later as a recurring panelist. Snedden was the head writer for episodes of Funny Girls and Jono and Ben,[8] and became the head writer for Golden Boy (2019).

Snedden performed her first stand-up show, Alice Snedden: Self-Titled, at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in 2017,[9] later bringing the show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018.[10] Snedden was nominated for the 2018 Billy T Award.[11]

In 2018, she became the host and writer of Alice Snedden's Bad News, a documentary comedy series focusing on New Zealand political and social issues.[12]

Snedden co-wrote the BBC series Starstruck alongside Rose Matafeo,[13] who she had hosted the podcast Boners of the Heart together with since 2016.[14][12]

Personal life

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During her 2019 show Absolute Monster, Snedden discussed coming to terms with her bisexuality.[15]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role
2020 Baby Done Antenatal Teacher

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 Funny Girls Various Actor (1 episode). Head writer (1 episode)
2016–2020 7 Days Self - Team member 12 episodes. Writer (51 episodes)
2016 Stake Out Parking Warden 1 episode
2017 Jono and Ben Head writer (3 episodes), writer
2018 The Project Self - Whip Around Reporter 1 episode
2019 Golden Boy Head writer (8 episodes)
2018-2022 Alice Snedden's Bad News Self Creator and host (20 episodes)
2020 Educators Midwife 5 episodes
2020 Frankie Boyle's New World Order Writer (2 episodes)
2021 Starstruck Amelia 2 episodes. Writer (12 episodes)
2021 Have You Been Paying Attention? Self New Zealand version

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kilgalon, Steve (8 September 2016). "Why Alice Snedden finds law and comedy much the same". Stuff. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Mulligan, Jesse (26 April 2017). "Bookmarks: Alice Snedden". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  3. ^ Snedden, Alice (March 2018). "Pride and the Church". Tui Motu Magazine. 27 (224). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b Reed, Megan Nicol (30 March 2019). "The Confession Box: Alice Snedden". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  5. ^ Mulligan, Jesse (22 March 2017). "Bookmarks: Patrick Snedden". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Episode 3: Healthcare Inequity - Alice Snedden's Bad News". Radio New Zealand. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  7. ^ Husband, Dale (25 February 2017). "Pat Snedden: Are we brave enough to make the changes we need?". E-Tangata. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Alice Snedden - Funny As Interview". NZ On Screen. 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  9. ^ Brooks, Sam (17 May 2017). "Comedy Festival: Alice Snedden comes out swinging, Paul Williams makes a mark, and Eli Matthewson gets deeper and darker". The Spinoff. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  10. ^ Lee, Veronica (17 August 2018). "Edinburgh Fringe 2018 reviews: Rosie Jones/ Marcus Brigstocke/ Alice Snedden". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  11. ^ Brooks, Sam (13 October 2017). "The 2018 Billy T nominees are here, and they're pretty damn great". The Spinoff. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  12. ^ a b Ryan, Charlotte (22 August 2020). "The Mixtape: Alice Snedden". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  13. ^ Mangan, Lucy (25 April 2021). "Starstruck review – Rose Matafeo stars in a millennial fairytale". The Spinoff. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden share their biggest Boners of the Heart". The Spinoff. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  15. ^ Richardson, Jay (22 August 2019). "Comedy review: Alice Snedden: Absolute Monster, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh". The Scotsman. Retrieved 6 March 2022.