Billy Connolly bringing High Horse Tour to Sheffield Arena

The 73-year-old national treasure, named the greatest standup ever in TV polls, will bring his High Horse Tour to the venue on Sunday, November 13.

Tickets are expected to sell out fast when they go on sale next week, on Friday, July 15, at 9am - see www.sheffieldarena.co.uk.

The Scottish comedy legend, or the Big Yin as he is known, has already had rave reviews taking the tour around Scotland, Canada and the USA. He did an 11-night run at Hammersmith Apollo in January.

The consummate storyteller, regarded by many as the Godfather of observational comedy, looks back on his life including 50-year career and he doesn’t shy from his health troubles – he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013 just weeks before he had successful surgery for prostate cancer.

He has performed live to an estimated 10 million people over the decades but is also famed for his film and TV work.

Perhaps best known for his moving performance as the loyal servant John Brown in the highly acclaimed Mrs Brown, Connolly’s other film credits include Gulliver's Travels, The X-Files and the Muppet movie version of Treasure Island. His distinctive voice is also featured on the animated films Pocahontas, Open Season and and the Disney Pixar animation Brave.

Most recently, he has appeared in Quartet, directed by Dustin Hoffman, in the three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, directed by Peter Jackson, and will be seen in the upcoming What We Did On Our Holiday, alongside David Tennant and Rosamund Pike

On television, he has acted in shows from Columbo to Third Rock From The Sun and hosted documentaries including Billy Connolly's World Tour Of Scotland and continued the theme around New Zealand, Australia, England, Ireland and Wales.

More recently he presented the two-part series Bill Connolly's Big Send Off, which looked at death.

But he's proving there's still lots of life left in him with this tour and other projects.

After an apprenticeship as a welder in his hometown of Glasgow, he became a professional performer in 1962, forming The Humblebums band with Gerry Rafferty, before pursuing a solo career as a comedian.

He was awarded a CBE in 2003, was given the Freedom of the City of Glasgow in 2010, and was named Britain's most influential stand-up comic in 2012.

* Tickets - priced £38.50, £46.75 and £55, including booking fee - will be available in person at the Arena Box Office, by phone on 0114 256 5656 or online at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk.Billy Connolly High Horse UK Tour dates November 2016:

Wed 2 Nov Birmingham Barclaycard Arena 0844 33 88 222 www.barclaycardarena.co.uk

Sat 5 Nov Cardiff Motorpoint Arena 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

Sun 6 Nov Cardiff Motorpoint Arena 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

Tues 8 Nov Nottingham Motorpoint Arena 0843 373 3000 www.motorpointarenanottingham.com

Fri 11 Nov Manchester Arena 0844 847 8000 www.manchester-arena.com

Tues 15 Nov Newcastle City Hall 08448 11 21 21 www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Wed 16 Nov Newcastle City Hall 08448 11 21 21 www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Sun 13 Nov Sheffield Arena 0114 2 56 56 56 www.sheffieldarena.co.uk

Fri 25 Nov Peterborough Arena 0844 844 0444 www.peterborougharena.com

Sat 19 Nov Liverpool Echo Arena 0844 8000 400 www.echoarena.com

Tues 22 Nov Brighton Centre 01273290131 www.brightoncentre.co.uk

Wed 23 Nov Brighton Centre 01273290131 www.brightoncentre.co.uk

Mon 28 Nov Bournemouth BIC 0844 576 3000 www.bic.co.uk

Tues 29 Nov Bournemouth BIC 0844 576 3000 www.bic.co.uk

* For more about Billy Connolly visit his official web site at www.BillyConnolly.com