JOSIE Long reflects on her childhood, her family and never truly knowing heartbreak until now in her most heartfelt, honest and personal show, Cara Josephine, at The Duchess, York, on February 27.

"But don’t fret, Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg still get a kicking," promises Josie, whose seventh nationwide tour comes on the back of a sold-out run at last summer's Edinburgh Fringe.

The three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and eternal optimist discusses love, the resilience of an older sister, a new niece and being as outdoorsy as a bear, while using the experience of heartbreak to change her ways, be more patient, work out what she really wants and become a better person. Where once Josie was whimsical, now she has grown more politically aware and socially conscious while retaining her innate friendliness and sense of the silly.

Josie started an ongoing project in 2011 called the Alternative Reality Tour; an anti-cuts, pro-youth, no-profit performance in a bid to fight for social justice and support public art. She runs a monthly club night in London, The Lost Treasures of the Black Heart, which celebrates the world’s unsung heroes and has since been turned into a podcast, and she is co-founder of the Arts Emergency Service, a charity that supports students from underprivileged backgrounds who wish to study arts degrees.

Her 2015 tour also visits Hull's Fruit Space on February 24 (box office, 01482 221113) and The Wardrobe in Leeds on February 25 (0113 383 8800), as well as York, where tickets are on sale on 01904 641413 or at theduchessyork.co.uk