Fans of comedian Ken Dodd have been rushing to snap up tickets for his one night show in Clacton this summer.

A full house of around 820 look certain to be tickled by the 84-year-old legend's slick one-liners when he appears at the Tendring District Council (TDC) run Princes Theatre on July 7.

People were queuing out of the door of the Town Hall and extra staff were laid on to deal with the demand when tickets went on sale at 9.30am today (January 27).

Within a couple of hours almost 300 tickets were sold through the box office with a further 104 purchased on line for the show which is part of the Ken Dodd Happiness Tour.

It is the first time that the Liverpudlian has appeared at the Princes Theatre since 2009 when his show was completely sold out.

Melissa Diplock, TDC's Assistant Theatre and Entertainments Manager, said that the comedian and song writer was proving to be a big hit.

"Our lines were flooded with calls and the queue was out of the door - we have taken well over £5,000 today in the box office and another £2,000 on line," she said.

"I would urge anyone who wants to see the show to make sure they get their tickets quickly or they run the risk of missing out."

In September the Princes Theatre sold all of its tickets for TV comedian Jimmy Carr in the space of just seven hours of them going on sale.

Carr is appearing at the theatre next month.

27/1/12