SELBY Town Hall's spring season launch has prompted the venue's most successful single day of sales in its15-year history.

"Tickets were snapped up instantly for former Amen Corner frontman and guitarist to the stars Andy Fairweather Low on February 1; Streets Of London singer Ralph McTell and Wizz Jones on February 19, Eighties' chart-toppers Hue And Cry on March 22; and TV comedians Gary Delaney's Gagster's Paradise show on April 18 and Mark Watson's The Infinite Show later in the year on September 13," says Selby Town Council arts officer Chris Jones.

"Six shows sold out out in super-fast time, including Gyles Brandreth's Break A Leg! on June 3, but there are plenty more great music, comedy and theatre experiences coming to Selby in the first half of 2019.

"We have bundles of tickets still available for Norwegian jazz sensation Silje Nergaard on February 10; Haircut 100 singer Nick Heyward's acoustic gig on April 12; The Vicar Of Dibley co-writer Paul Mayhew-Archer's debut solo show, Incurable Optimist, on April 27; Icicle Works' front man Ian McNabb's solo gig on June 1; Irish singer and multiple BBC Folk Award winner Cara Dillon, returning to Selby on June 7, and a host of hits from last year’s Edinburgh Fringe."

Run by Selby Town Council, the venue will present not only established stars and multi-award winners but also new talent, such as the winner of last summer's Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer, Ciarán Dowd, and the most in-demand young bluegrass band in the United States, Mile Twelve, from Boston.

For comedy enthusiasts, podcast sensations The Scummy Mummies, alias self-confessed "less-than-perfect parents" Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson, will make their Selby debut on March 15, having sold out venues four times the size of Selby Town Hall on their autumn tour.

The aforementioned Paul Mayhew-Archer will be visiting Selby with his first ever solo stand-up show after rave reviews for a London run and a sold-out three weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe on the back of several decades in the industry as a writer.

Two other 2018 Edinburgh Fringe successes are Selby bound too: stupendously silly character comedian Ciarán Dowd, performing his Don Rodolfo show, on April 6 and television regular and two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Andrew Maxwell, on May 11, as he takes his Showtime show on a rare national tour.

Scottish folk quintet Breabach play on February 15; Highlands and Islands folk act Blazin’ Fiddles celebrate their 21st year with a national tour in February, playing Selby on February 28, while Twenties and Thirties' jazz and swing dance band The Pasadena Roof Orchestra mark their 50th anniversary with a sold-out tour date on March 31.

"We also have some of the very best folk and roots bands that North America has to offer playing here this spring, such as sensational bluegrass quintet Mile Twelve, whose line-up comprises graduates from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, on March 23," says Chris.

"We're also presenting Toronto's old-time music masters The Lonesome Ace Stringband on February 9; Thunder & Rain, an American powerhouse band from the Rocky Mountains, on March 9, Juno Award-winning Canadian folk-harmony group Good Lovelies on April 13 and Canadian string quartet The Fretless on May 4."

Summing up the season ahead, Chris says: "We’ve been bowled over by the demand for tickets since our latest programme of events was launched.There’s a really wide range of shows on offer, from multi-million selling musicians to exciting new theatre shows, such as Pipeline Theatre's Drip Drip Drip on March 3 and Pip Utton's Alzheimer's play, And Before I Forget I Love You, I Love You, on May 18.

"I’m thrilled that we’re able to attract such a variety of high profile and richly interesting performers to our little space here in Selby.”

For a full list of shows, visit selbytownhall.co.uk. Tickts are on sale online or on 01757 708449.

Charles Hutchinson