A comedian, writer, and actor will bring her brand of stand up to Carlisle as part of a huge nationwide tour.

Jessica Fostekew, known for her BBC Radio 4 series Sturdy Girl Club, where she explores the world of women in weightlifting, will perform at The Old Fire Station on March 4 this year.

This is part of a 50 date tour across the UK and Ireland, her biggest tour yet.

Her radio series has been renewed for a second season, as she explained the series explored different kinds of weightlifting, from powerlifting to Olympic weightlifting, bodybuilding, and more.

Now, her second series will explore other sports which are stereotypically not associated with women, like rugby, why women have historically not been allowed to compete in the sport, and other activities like wrestling, mixed martial arts, and crossfit.

However, her stand up show will be about something different, as she explained: “It’s a show about speeding up as I get older.

“I turned 40 last year, and I thought I’d settle down and become a bit calmer about things, and it feels like the opposite is happening where the older I get, the fast I go, and the more things I try to fit into limited time.

“There’s stuff in there about PE, parenting, being a mum, and ultimately it’s about digging in a little bit and trying really hard.”

On how she feels about starting this huge tour, she said: “I’m really excited about it, this is the hardest bit.

“I’m a week out from it starting and it feels like you’re crouched at the starting line waiting for the gun.

“By the time I’m in Carlisle, it’s a bit of a sweet spot, I’ll have done those nervy shows and I’ll be into the swing of it then.

“I’m there on Monday, so I’m keen to meet people who are out for a show on a school night.”

On places she’s excited to visit, she said: “There are some places that are always amazing for comedy, like Glasgow, but I am genuinely excited to come to places I’ve never toured before, like Carlisle, Stockton, Southend, and Ireland.”

For more information and tickets, click here.