IT takes a special kind of poet to get an audience joining in silly songs about snails, dogs and guillemots. Yet comedian John Hegley had fans in the palm of his hand when he played a double bill of family shows called All Hail the Snail at The North Wall arts centre in Summertown.

The comic, who has written 13 books and is a regular on BBC Radio 4, took his audiences on a humorous journey through his library of poems, songs, stories and animal drawings, armed with his trusty mandolin – all with audience participation.

Afterwards he met fans at the South Parade venue and signed books. He said: “It was great and people seemed to enjoy it and join in.”

On Saturday's shows, he said: “It’s about getting young people to delight in a theatrical experience.

“I want to involve them and make them realise they can be participants too.”