A SELL-OUT crowd afforded performers a standing ovation when the Barry Arts Festival’s musical cabaret concluded.

The first event of the 2018 season at St Francis Millennium Centre, saw music lovers applaud artists David George Harrington, Llinos Haf Jones and Manon Ogwen Parry.

David George Harrington, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, played keyboards and kept the audience in stitches with witty repartee, joined on stage by Urdd Eisteddfod winning singers Llinos Haf Jones and Manon Ogwen Parry who performed both solo and together in a 90-minute performance.

A mixture of classical and musical theatre tunes through the evening, some of the highlights included Manon’s version of The Girl in 14G, about life in a high-rise apartment with a wannabe opera singer in the flat below and a jazz singer on the floor above, and Llinos singing ‘Nothing’ from ‘A Chorus Line’, a story about a young girl learning method acting with an over-bearing teacher, whose story has a sting in the tail.

Following their standing ovation, the trio returned to the stage where the women sang ‘Dan Bwysau’, a Welsh language version of ‘Under Pressure’, originally by Queen and David Bowie.

Barry Arts Festival organiser, Dot Connell, said: “This was a fabulous start to the 2018 Barry Arts Festival.

“It was wonderful to put on such a talented and local trio in our first event of the new year.

“And thank you to all three for their performance and our sell-out audience for their obvious and heart-felt appreciation.

“More events will be announced shortly, including evening speaking events and more musical nights out in Barry, so keep your eyes peeled.

“We would also like to thank our sponsors Barry Town Council for their support, especially Cllr Nic Hodges who has come to so many events in his time as mayor, and Newydd Housing Association.”