IT’S good news for men in Taunton – you can sit in the front row.

Tiff Stevenson, arch-feminist, sharp-tongued, provocative and satirical comedienne has promised to be nice.

Her award-winning shows at the Edinburgh festival, on TV and in surprise locations such as Dubai (more on that later) are known for their hard-hitting view on a host of issues.

Her show at the Tacchi-Morris next month is suitably called Mad Man, but Tiff insists it’s not men who are her target, more the male world - among others.

Someone described Tiff as “like Katie Hopkins but with A Levels,”, and she certainly has opinions, including on Ms Hopkins.

Speaking about the former Apprentice contestant turned the nation’s best-known guardian of the right, Tiff said: “She’d be hateful for a biscuit.”

“I don’t think men are afraid of me so please feel free to sit in the front. I won’t pick on you,” she smiles.

“I do believe comedy can be useful in raising feminist issues. I don’t want to make that the headline but I think anyone who watches the show will realise. I think comedy is useful for talking about all issues, whether it’s feminism, or the NHS or mental health issues.”

Tiff is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Mad Man is the sixth solo show she has performed at the Fringe.

Quickly becoming a well-known face on television screens, 2015 saw her play series regular Tanya in BBC Three’s hit mockumentary People Just Do Nothing, which will be returning this year for two more series.

She will also a regular on TV shows Mock The Week, Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central and Live at The Apollo.

On tour, Tiff says her audience is evenly mixed between men and women. Mad Man is her sixth solo show which asks a number of question such as what makes a person and why the cult of personality reigns supreme.

No-one is spared, whether the Kardashians, Jennifer Lopez’s Booty video or people wearing T-shirts featuring rock bands they’ have never listened to. Anyone who loves holidays in Dubai should especially be aware.

“Dubai is the Las Vegas of the Middle East,” she says.

“It’s the worse of two worlds, the rampant conservatism of the region and superficial western commercialism. It has beautiful buildings but no soul.”

Despite having views on almost every issue, she says she has no desire to enter parliament. “Maybe American politics as that’s more showbiz, but I don’t want that responsibility.”

She prefers the satirical route pointing out life’s absurdities and injustices in her sell-out shows.

“I think for a generation, satire is so alien it could be a French rapper. Even for a thirtysomething like me, the word sounds a bit too stuffy, naff and middle-French.

“It conjures up images of bloated old men doing jokes about the establishment which they are firmly a part of. There is a whiff of privilege that says: “We do satirical high art, you plebs do jokes.”.

She adds: “Satire is about being critical about people in positions of power, not just politicians, in a funny way. So comments about Donald Trump’s hair or Eric Pickles’ weight are still valid. Whether it’s a bit cheap or lazy is another issue.

“I think you can deliver a scathing attack on Trump’s policies and a society that seems to reward the biggest a**holes, as well as dig in to his appearance. This is what I have tried to achieve in my current show. With Trump, the majority of his attacks on women are to do with their looks and the irony, from someone who looks like him, is hilarious.

“Americans are nailing satire at the moment, but I would argue this is down to their lack of an establishment. The UK seems to treat satire as if it were the domain of the privileged Oxbridge few.”

So is she searching for optimism in a world of Kardashians, guns and everyday vodka?

Tiff says: “Being famous used to be a by-product of your talent and your abilities and now it just seems that everyone wants to be famous without really knowing what for. I find the Kardashians pretty depressing because they are a rich family from Holywood and the father hid evidence that could have helped convict O.J. Simpson.

“I don’t think anybody does comedy because they want to be famous.

"I was acting and I was doing comedy parts and I was getting frustrated with the parts and thought I could write them better so I did.”

Who makes her laugh? “Most of them are dead. Joan Rivers and George Carlin. Of current comedians I like Chris Rock, apart from when he does anything about women, and Mark Thomas.

“I’m not one of those comedians who is swithed-on constantly. Probably the only person I want to make laugh is my boyfriend, and I have quite a funny family. We laugh a lot together.”

  • Tiff Stevenson will be at the Tachhi-morris Arts Centre, Taunton, on February 12