LEADING stand-up comic Shappi Khorsandi will bring her patriotic new show to Cumbria for two dates later this year.

The star of Live At The Apollo , Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road show , Friday Night with Jonathan Ross , Have I Got News for You and QI has announced appearances in Whitehaven and Millom.

Shappi will be performing her new show, Oh My Country! , at the Beggars Theatre, Millom, on Friday, December 16, and then at the Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven, on Saturday, December 17.

Celebrating her 40th year in Britain, Iranian-born Shappi is dedicating her latest tour to her homeland and bringing jokes and gags as well as patriotism.

Shappi lived in Iran until she had to escape following the Islamic Revolution.

She started comedy in 1997, and made her first appearance at Edinburgh in 2000 – as part of a triple-header show with Russell Brand and Mark Felgate. She debuted solo in 2003, eventually being nominated for best breakthrough act at the Chortle Awards.

Having played all over the country, Shappi will be embarking on a mammoth journey from Portsmouth to Whitehaven and everywhere in between, talking about everything from modern life to the Iranian-UK cultural divide and the generation gap.

She is also the best selling author of A Beginner’s Guide to Acting English , and her debut novel, Nina is not OK , will be published by Ebury this July. Shappi was also recently elected president of the British Humanist society.

Tickets for both the Millom and Whitehaven shows are available now.

For more information and tickets, contact the venues’ respective box offices.