Explorers - The Age of Discovery With James May
+ A Lateral Events Production:
Explorers - The Age of Discovery
With James May
All New Show - Live on Stage
James May will premiere a landmark live theatre show across Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom this August and October, respectively, bringing 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’ charismatic storytelling to create an evening of compelling intellectual entertainment.
From Ice Age migrations to space travel, the stories of famous, infamous and unknown explorers will come to life in a theatric style, presented by British television presenter and award-winning journalist James May. James May is best known as a co-presenter of the motoring programs Top Gear and The Grand Tour, and as the host of the Our Man in… TV series.
Few endeavors have captured the imagination and spirit of humanity as profoundly as exploration. Audiences will embark on an awe-inspiring journey through time and space. They will discover the stories of those who risked (and sometimes gave) everything, driven by insatiable curiosity and an unquenchable thirst for discovery, pushing back the boundaries of the unexplored regions of the world, and now, the universe.
Live on stage, May will unravel the breathtaking tales of humankind from the earliest wanderings of ancient hunter-gatherers to the intrepid, often obsessive explorers, among them Lief Ericson, John Cabot, James Cook’s navigator Tupaia, Stanley and Livingstone, Gertrude Bell, through to the moon walkers, space exploration and the seemingly impossible challenges of interplanetary and intergalactic travel.
Please note: Explorers: The Age of Discovery has no connection to James May’s Great Explorers, a TV series broadcast on the UK’s Channel 5.
Tickets from Lateralevents.com
Tour Schedule - NZ
Wednesday 13 August 2025 - Auckland, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre
Friday 15 August 2025 - Wellington, Opera House
Tour Schedule - UK
Tuesday, 30 September 2025 - Woking, New Victoria Theatre
Wednesday, 1 October 2025 - Bath, Forum Theatre
Thursday, 2 October 2025 - Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Friday, 3 October 2025 - Bristol, Hippodrome
Saturday, 4 October 2025 - Brighton, Brighton Centre
Tuesday, 7 October 2025 - Stockton, Globe Theatre
Thursday, 9 October 2025 - Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
Tuesday, 14 October 2025 - London, Barbican Hall
Wednesday,15 October 2025 - Stoke-on-Trent, Victoria Hall
Thursday, 16 October 2025 - Manchester, O2 Apollo
Friday, 17 October 2025 - Edinburgh, Usher Hall
Sunday, 19 October 2025 - Nottingham, Concert Hall
Monday, 20 October 2025 - Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
Tuesday, 21 October 2025 - Oxford, New Theatre
Thursday, 23 October 2025 - Southampton, O2 Guildhall
Who is James May?
James needs very little introduction and is an immensely popular figure on British TV as well as having had huge success around the globe. His solo exploits are what he is most proud of and include the Our Man in travelogues to Japan, Italy & India for Amazon Prime Video and James May’s Toy Stories, Man Lab and the Reassembler for the BBC. He has also taken on the challenge of learning to cook and Oh Cook shares this journey both on screen and in book format. Little needs to be said about his contributions to the Grand Tour and Top Gear, both have massed and astronomical following and are well loved all over the world.
James is also a very successful writer of both books and columns and has a keen interest in cars that are either very posh or very basic and has a passion for motorbikes and aeroplanes
Image: (c) Miguel Altunaga