WHEN you get into comedy as a performer you need to find your niche. Whether that be playing a character, having a catchphrase or are just outright opinionated, there is something that makes them stand out from a crowd.

For Zoe Lyons it is the art of being herself and not having any shame in her performance.

The Brighton-based comic has been a regular on the comedy circuit for a number of years now, and she has used her constant touring to really grow as a performer.

“I have no dignity and I have no problems making a fool of myself on stage,” said the 45-year-old.

“When I first started doing this I thought to myself I must look like a complete idiot, and yeah I do and I’m good at it and that is what makes the different.

“There are so many different ways of performing. I mean I use voices and I move around a lot and I find that people really respond to it which is great for me.

“I have no shame, and I don’t care what I look like and I think that kind of helps as it is very freeing.”

Lyons is currently touring her latest show Little Misfits, which she debuted at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Since then the observational comedian’s show has evolved with the times incorporating subjects like Brexit and the election of president Trump.

She added: “I don’t like having heavily themed shows these days, so this is loosely based on the idea of not being part of a gang or a tribe when you are younger.

“I did the show in Edinburgh last August and the show has evolved so much since then as the world has become so much more tribal.

“I mean you can’t help but talk about what is going on at the moment and having as much of a laugh about it as we can as this Dorito dusted narcissist takes over the world.”

For all the fun that Lyons has with her shows she does have a bit of a plan B should the comedy gigs dry up one day, having acquired a degree in psychology.

However, the stand-up said it was never meant as a career path it was just something she was interested in and took up.

“I wanted to go to university, and I have always been interested in people and their behaviour and that lent itself to psychology,” added Lyons.

“An undergraduate degree in psychology doesn’t really set you up for much, I mean you would probably learn more from watching old people on a bus.”

But even when Lyons started to gain recognition for her standup work, she still didn’t really believe she had found the path her career would go down.

“I mean it’s more cobbles and I’m just about navigating my way around it,” she added.

But the comedy gig has taken her around the world and opened her up to a whole new audience.

Lyons continued: “I always wanted to travel and I knew I would and when I started doing comedy I wanted to take it as far as I could, which ultimately ended up being New Zealand.

“The first time you get to go abroad doing this job, it’s like I can’t believe some badly written tit jokes have actually gotten me this far.”

Zoe Lyons will bring her Little Misfits show to The Forge, in Basingstoke on March 11. For tickets and information visit anvilarts.org.uk.