Langton Matravers TV personality and comedian Jessica Fostekew has announced a new national stand-up tour which will finish at her request in Swanage in Dorset.
Following a run at the Edinburgh Festival, Jessica will tour her 30 venue stand up show Iconic Breath in 2026, starting in Norwich in February and concluding at The Mowlem on Saturday 16th May 2026.
Jessica has chosen to finish her 2026 tour in her home town of Swanage
A pupil of The Purbeck School
Jessica, who grew up in Langton Matravers and went to The Purbeck School in Wareham, has appeared on quick witted shows such as QI with Sandi Toksvig, Live at the Apollo, Celebrity University Challenge and Richard Osman’s House of Games.
As an actress, she has also appeared on shows including Motherland, Cuckoo and EastEnders, as well as writing for Mock the Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and The News Quiz.
There have also been guest appearances on Joe Lycett’s travel show 48 Hours In Lanzarote, where they took a tricycle ride through the lunar landscape, and dined on cactus croquettes; and on an episode on The World’s Most Dangerous Roads in Colorado.
Cheers! Jessica will take her new show on tour in 2026 after trying it out at this year’s Edinburgh Festival
“I honestly cannot wait to show it off”
Announcing her new stand up tour on Wednesday 28th May 2025, Jessica Fostekew said:
“All my forces have gone into building this new show. It’s the funniest show I’ve ever written and I honestly cannot wait to take it out and show it off.
“Iconic Breath is a monster’s guide to tolerance and temperance. I can feel myself becoming an emotional wildebeest when my world – and the whole world, thanks – demands cool, collected ultra detached saint-like kindness and understanding.
“The show explores how I dig around in my DNA for answers and wrestle with how to stay sane, and vaguely nice, in a world that’s on fire.
“Can I resist my inherited rage? Should I? This show explores personality – how it’s shaped and how it’s warped. One side of my family tree is held up by a serene, resilient Nana; the other, by a father so angry he once picked a fight with a prawn.”
Iconic Breath is a ‘monster’s guide to tolerance’ exploring Jessica’s inherited rage
Helen Lederer was one of many star guests on Jessica’s long running foodie podcast Hoovering
Listed Dancing Ledge as a perfect place
The Iconic Breath tour has been described as the next bold chapter in a career that continues to go from strength to strength for the 41 year old Purbeck comedian, who has listed peaceful Dancing Ledge as one of her favourite places anywhere in the world.
Her podcasts and TV appearances continue to grow her following and her latest show – described as the silliest of comedy for the scariest of days – is already being hailed as a must-see at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2025.
Beautiful Dancing Ledge along the Purbeck coastline, is listed as one of Jessica’s favourite places
“A fiercely funny strain of comedy”
Tazmin Richings from The Mowlem said:
“We are delighted and so excited to announce that Jessica Fostekew is bringing her tour Iconic Breath to Swanage on Saturday 16th May 2026.
“People will know her from her two BBC Radio 4 series of Sturdy Girl Club, from her funny podcasts The Guilty Feminist and Hoovering.
“More recently, Jess has started to co-host the new smash hit fan podcast for Gladiators, Contender Ready, with Olympic weightlifting superstar, Emily Campbell.
“She’s been praised by The Times for having ‘a new fiercely funny strain of comedy that’s her own’ and by the Guardian for ‘wearing her smarts on her sleeve’ and she’s a Purbeck person as well!”
Jack Dee is one of the biggest stars yet to appear at The Mowlem
Bringing top comedians to Swanage
Tickets will go on sale from Friday, 30th May 2025, at The Mowlem box office and online on its website, priced at £18 or £17 for Friends of The Mowlem.
The Mowlem and Off The Kerb Productions have successfully brought top comedians like Jack Dee, Andy Parsons and Rich Hall to perform on stage in the main auditorium since 2024.
And in 2025 it launched a monthly comedy club which features some of the best emerging comedians in the UK.
The Mowlem’s monthly comedy club has become a firm favourite
Showcasing exciting new talent
Tazmin added:
“This has become a great opportunity to catch the best comedy talent in a club environment – Off The Kerb’s shows are renowned for their superb lineups, showcasing exciting up and coming talent along with established names on the UK comedy circuit.
“Our aim is to bring the next generation of hilarious talent to Swanage – we love the buzz of when audiences come away from a gig with a new favourite comic that they didn’t know before a show.
“The format is simple: you, your friends and the company of three hilarious comics from the UK circuit. The perfect recipe for a top night out!”
Further information
- Book tickets via The Mowlem website
