Adventurer Ben Fogle is heading to Scotland. Here, he tells Your Weekend about his latest adventure
When he was a child, adventurer Ben Fogle dreamed of becoming an actor. So it is something of a wish fulfilment that he is now appearing on stage in his current theatre show, talking about his life.
“I always wanted to tread the boards as a child and aspired to be an actor. That didn’t work, as I was rejected by all the drama schools. So now, finally, aged 41, I am going to do my theatre tour,” said Ben, who goes on the road for 19 dates around the UK with his one-man event Call of the Wild, starting on Monday, September 28, and concluding on Friday, October 23.
“Whenever life becomes too comfortable for me, I need to shake it up and this is the first time I have ever done anything like this,” he said.
“I have done talks before, but this is going to be a little more theatrical; it’s going to be a proper event moment. It is sort of sharing my life and adventures with the audience. It is the story of how I got to where I am today and how someone who grew up in London ended up working in the farthest away, wildest corners of the world and how it has made me the person that I am. It will be really nice to actually go and meet people and hopefully leave them feeling inspired. That’s the idea.”
It is clear that Ben is enthused and excited about his latest project, as he always is about every challenge thrown his way. Whether rowing across the Atlantic with his best friend, former Olympic oarsman James Cracknell, running across the Sahara or crossing Antarctica on foot, he is a gung-ho modern-day action man.
While the TV action man has faced great dangers in his career, endearingly he confesses that he does get anxious, too, and he confesses he is fearful that no one will turn up to his theatre dates: “I am rather nervous about not selling any tickets. That would be slightly embarrassing. I am nervous about doing live, stand-up shows to thousands of people at all those different venues. But if you don’t have any nerves, something is wrong.”
The tour kicks off on Monday with a show at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, before he makes his way on Tuesday to the Music Hall in the Granite City – a city of which he has fond memories.
“I love Aberdeen. I’ve visited many times. Last time in the region was to Peterhead to make a film about trawlermen for ITV. It was a tough few weeks on the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. I have so much respect for those who work offshore – fishermen and oilmen alike. Despite having rowed the Atlantic, I was sick as a dog. I had to work as a crew member – hauling and gutting, hauling and gutting. I don’t look at fish in the same way. Respect.”
You can catch Ben Fogle at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, on Monday, September 28 (www.eden-court.co.uk), and at the Music Hall, in Aberdeen, on Tuesday, September 29 (www.aberdeenperformingarts.com).