MARION SAUVEBOIS talks to Sara Pascoe about her latest comedy show

2016 is a big year for Sara Pascoe. Animal is her biggest tour yet, and coincides with the publication of her first book of the same name.

So, what can we expect from her two new beastly creations?

“They’re sort of two halves. The book came first and deals with evolution and humans beings as animals – particular female humans as animals – but after writing it I realised there were lots of other areas that I hadn't been able to touch in the book that I have now mined for the show.

The unspoken theme of the show is how we empathise with other people. So it's dealing with that, but with really silly stories in between. I'm trying to talk about things that really matter to me, but in a way that isn't like a boring TED talk.”

You also talk about veganism in the show – you’ve been vegan since 2009. Was there a catalyst for that?

“I did [comedian] Josie Long’s project: One Hundred Days To Make Me A Better Person. My two things were a prison letter writing scheme and becoming vegan.”

And are you still keeping up the prison letter writing?

"No. But I've started again. One of the guys wrote back with very, very sexual letters, so I've spent about eight years working on my reply to him.”

You originally wanted to be an actress, what made you decide to try stand-up?

“It wasn’t a decision. I thought stand-up was really stupid. I went to watch a friend do stand-up and I thought absolutely everyone was terrible. I hadn't realised that you could take words up on a piece of paper, I thought all stand-up was improvised. So when I saw all these skinny boys with pads in their hands being rubbish I thought: Oh, I can do that. So I started it very arrogantly. But I did a stand-up gig and it was like: Oh, now I know what my whole life has been leading to, every job I'd done, it all made sense."

After stand-up, acting and writing, is there anything else you’d like to try?

"Professional gymnast! No, but I do think about things. I've been thinking about “Strictly Come Dancing” recently."

Have you been offered it?

"No, not “Strictly”. I was offered “Tumble”. Not the same. I watched the last series of “Strictly” and I loved it so much, but I thought: I'm not having my teeth whitened and being fake tanned, and I'm not wearing dresses!"

Sara Pascoe will be at the Arts Centre on Sunday, June 5 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £13. To book call 01793 524481 or visit swindontheatres.co.uk.