Eddie Izzard, known for his surreal comedy and transvestitism, was trying to excite Lancaster University students about politics on Tuesday.
He held a question-and-answer session at the Nuffield Theatre on the campus for 200 lucky students who had managed to get free tickets.
Eddie told the Guardian: "I am not trying to bring a message, this is an opportunity to sit here with them, have a debate..a discussion. I am trying to stand politically for something in 10 to 15 years time. I want to develop my own manifesto."
He said he'd come to Lancaster because it was an area the BNP was targeting.
"It's 65 years since our men went to fight for D-Day...if people do not vote it will help the BNP get in. We are the politics of hope, not hate."
The Labour Party helped organise the event and Eddie appeared alongside Europe Minister Caroline Flint and would-be Euro MP Claire Reynolds, who attended Lancaster University some years ago.
The comic was urging the students to use their democratic right and vote on Thursday at the county and Euro elections.
To help fund the show he organised an impromptu 'secret' gig at Lancaster Grand Theatre which paid for the university appearance.
"I pay for all MY expenses...by singing for my supper!" Eddie said referring to the MPs' expenses saga.
The details of the Lancaster gig were cloaked in secrecy with all tickets being publicised via the 47-year-old comedian and the Grand's websites last Wednesday.
All 450 tickets sold out within three hours and everyone involved was under strict orders not to speak to the media.
However it nearly didn't happen at all, as Grand manager Ellie Singleton revealed this week.
"Last of the Summer Wine is locked into rehearsals and I could only take him (Eddie Izzard) if I could dismantle the set! It all came out of the blue," she said.
It was the first time they had sold tickets entirely online and the theatre had only set up its online booking system just two weeks before.
But the highly excited crowd who packed into the Grand on Tuesday night were unaware of the many pitfalls which could have led to the Emmy award-winning comic not performing there.
They were just delighted to see such a big star in the city.
The show which started at 10.30pm included bits from his new show Stripped which he tours this autumn. His only political reference was right at the end where he urged everyone to go out and vote on Thursday.
At quarter past midnight he left the stage to rapturous applause and made a quick escape to travel to Burnley – a hotbed of BNP support – where he was performing the following night.