LIVE action night show Kynren has been such a big hit in its opening season that an extra date has been squeezed in to meet demand.

Thousands of people have enjoyed the historical spectacle, staged in a 7.5 acre landscaped arena on the edge of Bishop Auckland, since its launch on Saturday, July 2.

The show has received repeated standing ovations and as the list of rave reviews grows, more and more people from further afield want to see it.

Last Saturday, August 20 was its first complete sell out and the 8,000 spaces available for each of the remaining shows are being snapped up, with premium seats costing up to £55 the most popular.

Organisers Eleven Arches, the charity that presents the show, has decided to add an extra show on Friday, September 16- the night before it closes for 2016.

Anne-Isabelle Daulon, chief executive of Eleven Arches, said: “Our reputation is growing. When we started, most of the people who heard about us and booked tickets were local or regional but it is certainly growing and spreading.

"As we've had consistently good reviews of high quality shows, people have less of a leap of faith to make to travel.

"Last weekend a family that travelled from Wiltshire said they'd came across such wonderful reviews, such positive comments but waited until the weekend before coming to ensure they'd experience that consistent quality.

"People are also telling us 'we want premium tickets', we only have a few hundred tickets left for the season.

"We always hoped to have such tremendous success but until you see it it is difficult to make operation actions.

"Now the proof is in the pudding we've decided to put on this extra show."

More than 1,000 volunteers are involved behind the scenes and performing in the show which features a Viking ship, a steam train, mass choreography, combat, dancing, animals, fireworks and light, sound and water effects.

In 90 minutes, the audience is taken on a journey through 2,000 years of history from Roman times to the Second World War, through Viking invasions, Tudor times, the Industrial Revolution and the Roaring Twenties.

Kynren is based on a similar attraction at Puy do Fou, in France, and is part of a regeneration scheme in the town led by philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer.

Tickets for the remaining shows are available on the website elevenarches.org or telephone 03333-003028.