How to get a ticket to the Tony Blair Iraq show

Roll up, rollup for the Tony Blair show. See him squirm, watch him wince, as he faces the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war for a solid six hours (with a break for lunch). But if you thought it would be simple to get a ticket, think again. The procedure makes getting into Wimbledon centre court look a doddle.

Such is the public interest in seeing the former prime minister explain himself, and so small is the room in which the hearings are being held (60 seats in total) at the QEII conference centre opposite Westminster Abbey, that the Chilcot inquiry team has today launched a ballot for public tickets.

Anyone interested needs to go to the Chilcot website and print out the application form which must then be posted by ordinary mail - no emails accepted - before the closing date of January 15.

It is not certain which day the once beloved leader will appear: all the Chilcot website can guarantee is that it will be some time during the fortnight starting January 25 and that it will last for six hours. To give more people a chance of a seat, the day will be split into morning and afternoon sessions.

Sir John Chilcot, the inquiry chairman, said: "Given the potential demand, we recognise the importance of providing people with certainty about whether or not they will be able to get into the hearings, particularly those who need to travel long distances. We believe the fairest way to do this is to allocate seats by ballot."

To dissuade touts, anyone lucky enough to receive a ticket will be forbidden from passing it on as a gift or selling it. And remember - no WMDs, no rotten tomatoes.