​​​New and Selected Potatoes is the spud-in-cheek title of the compilation of 10 volumes of work by poet, comic, singer, songwriter and glasses-wearer, John Hegley. John will perform poems and songs from across his back-catalogue, alongside new pieces, focussing on his educational work and storytelling. Mandolin accompaniment is now expanded to include a Portuguese cavaquinho and a train whistle from Didcot Railway Centre. In places the audience will be invited to participate, emotionally. ​​

​​​ ​​ ​​​The Observer commented 'Hegley is to potatoes what Wordsworth has been to daffodils' - although there is more about Keats than Wordsworth in the show. There is much about family and foolhardiness in an evening designed for adults, but not unsuitable for the odd nine-year-old.​​

John Hegley began his career busking outside Westminster tube station, beside the toilets, burning incense sticks to sweeten this experience. He graduated to street entertaining in Covent Garden with the spectacular Popticians, who recorded two sessions for John Peel. Then came a Perrier comedy nomination, a residency at Keats House, twelve books, one mug, an honorary doctorate, an Arts Council funded project taking ten-year-olds into art galleries, and radio appearances across the BBC network, including the one-off special: 'All you ever needed to know about busking'.

The poet Adrian Mitchell said of him 'just because he is one of the funniest men alive, don't underestimate his dedicated gentleness.' 
The Independent described him as 'awesomely mundane'.​​

www.​​​johnhegley.co.uk​​