'I choose to be hopeful': how comedian Josie Long is dealing with the aftermath of Brexit

Josie Long is going through the stages of grieving. 

After the shocking results of the UK's vote to leave the European Union, the British comedian was hit with a wave of shock that she's still processing, and what better place to do that than onstage in front of an audience. Her new comedy show, Something Better, is all about Brexit and more specifically, trying to find hope in these uncertain times.

"Hope is about saying, yes things are difficult, yes we have lost, yes the lay of the land is bad, but that's the game so game on," she explains. "It's about choosing to continue and to try because I always think you might as well have a positive attitude."

Long says Something Better is her most difficult show yet and sometimes, when the jokes don't work out, it can feel anguishing. "You want to keep it light and fun and moving, but at the same time, you can't deny certain feelings of dread," she adds. 

But, part of her grieving process does involve trying to reach out to right-wing audiences and perhaps trying to mend what can feel like a very fractured country. 

"I just want to build some bridges and try and see if we can find more in common," she concludes. But with an asterisk of a whisper she tacks on: "In the hope that I can stealthily sway people to come onto my team!"