James May is coming to Canberra in early August 2025. Photo: Lateral Events, James Coleman.
James May has been all over the world – first, of course, alongside his colleagues Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond for BBC’s Top Gear, followed by The Grand Tour (until that wrapped up late last year), and also in his travelogue series Our Man in … for Amazon Prime.
Possibly his most recent memorable trip ‘down under’ was in Top Gear Series 22 when the boys embarked on a road trip across the Northern Territory in a BMW M6, Bentley Continental GT and Nissan GT-R – along the way, meeting ‘Aussie Stig’ and at least trying to herd 4000 cows.
But as far as we can gather, May has never been to Canberra. That’s about to change this August.
The now 62-year-old journalist, TV presenter and book author (and also gin-maker) with the long hair and penchant for floral shirts will front an audience at the ANU’s Llewellyn Hall on Saturday, 2 August, for his “landmark live theatre show”.
Delivered by Lateral Events, Explorers – The Age of Discovery promises to “bring to life the stories of the extraordinary explorers who traversed the deserts, scaled the mountains, sailed into the unknown”.
“The live show combines theatrical techniques and James’s charismatic storytelling to create an evening of compelling intellectual entertainment,” a statement reads.
“Live on stage, James May will unravel the breath-taking tales of humankind from the earliest wanderings of ancient hunter-gatherers to the intrepid, often obsessive explorers … through to the moon walkers, space exploration and the seemingly impossible challenges of interplanetary and intergalactic travel.”
Some of the names he’ll be mentioning include Lief Ericson, John Cabot, James Cook’s navigator Tupaia, Stanley and Livingstone and Gertrude Bell – as those who “risked everything, driven by insatiable curiosity and an unquenchable thirst for discovery”.
The show’s Australian tour kicks off in Perth on 29 July, followed by Adelaide two days later and Canberra next.
From here, it goes to Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart before heading across to New Zealand, with shows in Auckland and Wellington, before the last one in Sydney on 20 August.
Lateral Events notes that the theatre show is not to be confused with James May’s Great Explorers TV series, currently broadcasting in the UK, but it’s safe to say the show is inspired by the series.
Tickets are available now on the Lateral Events website and range from $95 to $185, depending on seating location.
