Shappi Khorsandi, Oh My Country! From Morris Dancing to Morrissey: The Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond

AS seen on Live At The Apollo, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, 8/10 Cats and Have I Got News For You, Iranian born Shappi Khorsandi gets around.

She arrived draped in the flag of St George, wearing trendy jeans with split knees – and she wondered why people say her legs are fat. She drooled on about the building; as they do sometimes at The Georgian; and looking up at the packed auditorium she seemed shocked that everyone was so near, saying, “My God, you lot look like a load of well-dressed prostitutes”. Then, as if she might have overstepped the mark, she quickly added , “or Muppets – yes,” digging herself into an even deeper hole.

After calling for her sparkly mobile phone, she proceeded to take a photo of the audience, “for Twitter,” she explained. Well, that’s a few firsts for me.

Khorsandi’s style is part-documentary, part-philosophy and part, frankly, a load of rambling rubbish. She’s endearing though, with a cute sort of humour and she does use the throwaway line after precisely timed chunks of silence to great effect. Describing going for a drink with her effeminate brother, she tells us: “My brother is going to be gay.” (She quickly walks across stage). “When my dad dies.”

She is also the best-selling author of A Beginners Guide to Acting English, which she quips "will be available in most charity shops from next year".

Helen Brown