A stand-up comedian, who The Independent called ‘a comedy genius’, is hoping that the people of Carlisle flock to his upcoming performance in the city.

Paul Foot ends his ‘Swan Power’ tour at The Old Fire Station on Saturday March 19.

When asked if he had any memorable moments from spending time in Cumbria, Paul said: “One of my regular venues in Cumbria is the Sellafield nuclear plant. The workers there love my humour.

“Because they are dressed in radiation-proof spacesuits, I can’t hear their laughter, so they communicate their appreciation by the method of lifting the uranium rods in and out of the bath of molten graphite. The higher the reading on the Geiger meter, the more they’re enjoying the show.

"A few years ago, my performance went particularly well and some of the uranium rods started to convert into deadly polonium. As the workers fell into hysterics, a chain reaction was initiated and all plants, fish and wildlife within a 30-mile radius were destroyed. They say it will take 250 years for the ecosystem to recover.

"It was a great night.”

Paul shared what people who are yet to experience his live shows can expect. He added: “They should expect a combination of surreal humour from my mind, pointless humour from my briefcase, and unexpected, ill-advised ad-libs.

"The panda-based humour will dovetail with stories of a man who had planned a visit to the optician, but ended up getting legally assassinated in Zurich.”

Like most performers, Paul was forced to take his live shows online during the pandemic. He said: “Performing during a pandemic is easy and rewarding. Zoom shows are fun and although one cannot always hear the reaction of the crowd, they tell me by email if they enjoyed it, so within a few months, I know how well it went.

"And travel during a pandemic is straightforward. Simply fill in three or four forms, take a series of tests, pay fines at the borders for minor infringements, etc.

"Alternatively, don’t bother to get vaccinated and hire expensive lawyers and get in on a technicality with the full support of the President of Serbia.”