On the Record

A man with dark hair and a mustache wearing headphones, a black denim jacket, black t-shirt, light blue jeans, and beige sneakers, sitting on a chair against a blue background, with a Talking Heads vinyl record and a small black basket nearby.

High fidelity stand-up comedy.

After almost a decade shifting vinyl in an independent record shop, and even longer making people laugh on stage, Alastair Clark brings his two worlds together in a passionate, hilarious and moving show about the stark reality of living your dreams.

Alastair worked in one of Liverpool's most successful independent record shops. What started as two blokes selling second-hand records from a basement became a thriving business, welcoming hundreds of customers a month. In On the Record, Alastair tells the story of how he fell into, and ultimately decided to walk away from, his life in vinyl.

A show that waxes lyrical about crate digging, needle dropping and arguing with children about Limp Bizkit.

Young man with dark hair and a mustache, wearing headphones, sitting cross-legged, looking into and reaching into a small black suitcase with gold details, against a blue background.

★★★★★

“Never did I think that a stand-up comedy show could make me laugh so hard my face hurts, give me goosebumps, and bring me to tears.”

EdFringe Review

A man with dark hair, a mustache, and a goatee lying on a blue surface, wearing headphones and a black denim jacket, giving a thumbs-up gesture. There are various colorful posters and flyers spread out on the surface next to him.

★★★★★

“Never did I think that a stand-up comedy show could make me laugh so hard my face hurts, give me goosebumps, and bring me to tears.”

EdFringe Review

Development

On the Record premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2025 before returning in 2026 as part of Alastair's Record Store Comedy Tour.

In 2026, the show toured 12 independent record shops across the UK, taking it into the places at the heart of the story. Rhys Williamson worked with Alastair on the tour's marketing and PR before producing the show's Edinburgh Fringe 2026 run.

Wicked Pig Productions is now continuing that relationship with Alastair, working with him on the show's next steps and making On the Record available for theatre and rural touring.

“Never did I think that a stand-up comedy show could make me laugh so hard my face hurts, give me goosebumps, and bring me to tears.” ★★★★★ — EdFringe Review

“The record shop is the setting; the subject is life.” ★★★★★ — Fringe Radio

“Playful, smart and quietly ambitious” ★★★★ — One4Review

“Thoroughly engaging... Genuinely moving” — Clash

“Revealing insight into life at a record store” — British Comedy Guide

Credits

Written and performed by Alastair Clark

Directed by Rob Halden

Produced by Rhys Williamson

Download tour pack

Audience responses

  • “A beautiful mix of humour, music, bitterness, pathos, and joy.”

  • “An absolute gem... you’d be sorry to miss it”

  • “One for the comedy fans, the musos and those who like great storytelling.”

  • “So smart, funny, well structured and it had a real heartbeat.”

  • “Not only really really funny, but truly moving.”

A man performs stand-up comedy for an audience in a cozy venue decorated with colorful bunting, photographs, and vinyl records.
A man holding a tote bag with cartoon illustrations and text, speaking into a microphone at an indoor event, background showing posters, shelves with books, and a sign about selling records, CDs, and books.
A man with a mustache, wearing a light green cap, striped jacket, and green pants, is crouching down and pointing at the camera, in front of a black counter with posters for music events and various signs, in an indoor setting with red wooden floor and shelves with books and items in the background.
A man with a mustache and beard, wearing a green cap and a T-shirt, stands in front of an audience, holding a microphone and speaking. Behind him, there are shelves filled with records and a poster for Alastair Clark's comedy tour. The setting appears to be a record store or similar venue with merchandise on display and people seated watching him.
A person with a brown mustache and wavy hair, wearing a striped shirt, taking a selfie in a dark room. There is a sign that reads 'ROUGH TRADE' in the background and a microphone in the foreground.