The New Zealand International Comedy Festival begins this week - and one Kiwi comic is set to make a return to the stage.

Actress, writer and Billy T nominee Alice Snedden has been making waves overseas, having written and directed international hit series Starstruck with Rose Matafeo.

She says it's been difficult returning to the world of stand-up after four and a half years.

"You have an expectation of how good you'll be at it - and then you have to measure up against the reality. It's like if I hadn't exercised for four and a half years and then I'm like - now I'll go run a marathon."

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