A comedian had to perform first aid on a member of his audience when she collapsed during his show.

The stand-up, who goes only by the name of Eric, stepped into action after the twentysomething woman walked out of his performance at the Soho Theatre on Saturday night.

Sensing something was wrong, he followed her out – and found her collapsed on the foyer floor. He put her into the recovery position while theatre staff called an ambulance.

‘I checked her pulse and breathing and was about to re-enter the auditorium to utter those immortal worlds, “Is there a doctor in the house?” when I was joined by Dr Ramesh Sarma, who was in the audience,’ Eric said.

Knowing she was now in safe hands, he returned to finish his show, about his 17 years as a Royal Naval submariner – which is where he learned first aid.

‘But I haven't had to use it since my Navy days,’ he added

The woman – who had no previous history of medical problems, later recovered conscious, and has since been offered free tickets to another performance of Eric's Tales Of The Sea.

‘She was taken ill when I was just getting to the part of my show which is particularly emotional,’ Eric said. ‘It often has the audience shedding a tear, but the reaction has never been as extreme as this.’