AN AWARD-WINNING stand-up comedian who regularly sells out arenas has announced a one-off gig at Selby Town Hall.

Alan Carr will play the 150-seat hall as part of a series of warm-up gigs for his upcoming national tour, for one night only next month.

Chris Jones, arts officer for Selby Town Council, said tickets for the Valentine’s Day show, billed simply as Work In Progress, would go on sale this morning, and he was excited about the booking.

He said: “I’m not quite sure what to expect on Thursday morning. There’s been rumours of people camping out overnight!

“I think this is easily the biggest coup in the Town Hall’s ten-year history. We’re absolutely made up to have secured a date for such a massive name in our little Selby venue.”

The popularity of Carr, who began his career on the Manchester comedy circuit before becoming co-host of The Friday Night Project, saw him sell out two nights at London’s O2 on his last area tour, which Chris said was “about 280 times the number of seats available in the Town Hall”. For that reason, ticket sales have been limited to four per person when they go on sale.

Carr’s Channel 4 series Chatty Man has been on the air since 2009, and he has won awards from BAFTA, the Royal Television Society, National Television Awards, and British Comedy Awards.

However, this gig is a chance for him to try out brand-new material on an audience for the first time, to see what works and what does not, ahead of his next major tour.

Chris said: “Selby is now firmly on the comedy map. We are anticipating an incredibly high level of demand for tickets when they go on sale, but hopefully Alan’s visit will make it a Valentine’s Day to remember for those lucky enough to get a seat.”

Tickets for the show go on sale at 10am today, priced £13, and are available from the venue (cash only), at selbytownhall.co.uk or by phoning 01757 708449. Maximum of four tickets per person.

 

How the venues compare

Selby Town Hall

Seats: Up to 150

Upcoming shows: Coriolanus (National Theatre Live broadcast starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss): £10 - £12 Selby, Battle Of The Bands: £2.50, Stuart Maconie - The Peoples’ Songs: £15

• Former Methodist chapel dating back to 1862, used as a tyre depot after 1956 and fell into disrepair by the 1980s. Bought by Selby Town Council in 1992, now houses their offices, and became a regular concert venue in 2003.

• Regularly hosts artists as diverse as Dara O’Briain, The Wombats, Jeremy Hardy and Denny Laine, and was named Best Live Venue in 2006 (Yorkshire Evening Post Nightlife Award). Also home to Selby Globe community cinema, and co-ordinates workshops for local schools.

• Could fit 13 football teams inside the venue.

 

London’s O2

Seats: 20,000

Upcoming shows: Monty Python Live (Mostly): £32.50 - £106.75, Strictly Come Dancing Live: £29.50 - £73.50, Ed Sheeran: £39.50 - £44.00

• Formerly the Millennium Dome, has a circumference of 1km, and if turned upside down could hold 3.8 billion pints of beer.

• Regularly hosts shows by major comedians, bands, and spin-off shows from television events, including Dancing on Ice.

• Could fit 12 football pitches inside the venue.