TAL festival breaks its own box office record on day one!

THAME Arts and Literature Festival has broken its own box office record, as tickets sell like hot cakes on the very first day of going on sale!

Poet, Wendy Cope

Celebrating its ninth year, TAL has taken an amazing 800 bookings on its first day with all online tickets, to see historian and TV presenter Lucy Worsley who will be giving a glimpse into the acrimonious divorce of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, through the eyes of their daughter, Lady Mary – sold out by the end of the day. However, due to this huge demand to see the author there will be a few tickets available from the Town Hall box office on sale from September 1, 2018. Seats for the ever-popular Rumsey’s Tea Concert sold out in just 20 minutes of being released online.

Yvonne Maxwell, TAL Director said: “We were overwhelmed at the reaction to this year’s programme. To take over 800 bookings on the first day is nothing short of amazing. We are particularly delighted that, having worked to pull it together for over eight months, the programme has been so well received; it seems that Thame is as excited as we are. Every year, we have a broad range of subjects and fascinating speakers and we would encourage everyone to try the Festival Challenge: go to one thing you know nothing about! You never know, it might just blow your mind.”

Around 3,500 people are expected to attend over 38 events between October 18 – 21, 2018, which will include history, politics, fiction, a playwriting workshop, poetry, memoir, art and music, held at venues across Thame.

Other highlights include The Last British Dambuster’ George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, MBE DFM, in conversation with leading Bomber Command historian Dr Robert Owen, on his role in one of World War II’s most famous missions – Operation Chastise’; the Thame Remembers Project – locating the graves of every man listed on the Thame War Memorial;  Oxford author Julie Summers unearths the uninvited guests of our famous historic houses during the Second World War;  poet Wendy Cope MBE with her new collection, Anecdotal Evidence;  controversial QC Geoffrey Robertson shares his colourful court room life; in the centenary year of women’s suffrage, Oxford author Jane Robinson – Hearts and Minds – the Untold Story of the Great Pilgrimage and How Women won the Vote delivers the Bookshop Founder’s Lecture discussing how that recognition was achieved;  international best-selling crime writer Sophie Hannah on writing Hercule Poirot’s next chapter in The Mystery of The Three Quarters, while Hugh Fraser, who played Captain Hastings in ITV’s Agatha Christie’s Poirot, shares many anecdotes and talks about the fourth installment of his assassin Rina Walker thriller series, Stealth.

The Guardian’s parliamentary sketch writer, John Crace – I, Maybot: The Rise and Fall looks at the Prime Minister’s turbulent first year in power, while opera lovers are invited to pack a picnic supper and enjoy a spectacular ‘Glyndebarn’ gala evening with a complementary glass of Prosecco listening to the wonderful Music of Morse, sung by Oxford’s sublime Opera Anywhere company.

For full programme visit www.talfestival.org