Review: Bear Grylls - Endeavour

As a former boy scout, I have been a big fan of Bear Grylls since he burst onto our TV screens with his thrilling adventure shows, writes Daniel Bailey.

So I was intrigued to find out how the 42-year-old legendary survivor could entertain during a one-man stage show in the confines of a packed-out Nottingham Arena.

Out of his comfort zone again, I thought. But nothing seems to phase the man as he proved that translating a TV show in front of a live audience can be done - and in style.

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For two hours, he cleverly transformed the stage into some of the most extreme and dangerous landscapes in the world, taking the audience on an interactive expedition across the globe.

But Bear Grylls’ Endeavour is not all about Bear – it’s the man himself captivating us with some incredible stories about the world’s greatest survivors and how they prevailed in the most life-threatening situations.

He shows us what incredible risks are at stake while taking on nature’s biggest challenges, such as trekking through Antarctica, climbing Everest, travelling into space and surviving in the Amazon jungle.

Using a mixture of acrobatics, educational knowledge and special effects, the show seems to be more aimed at children, but with his supreme confidence and personable character, Bear delivers it with a feelgood factor.

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He spends most of the show suspended on wires high above the arena, but Bear is at his best when interacting with the crowd, especially when volunteers were welcomed on stage to help light fires and pitch tents.

It was an interesting blend of theatre and television close up while making you feel like you were rubbing shoulders with one of the planet’s best-known adrenaline junkies.

There are some gory photographs, which brought a few winces and gasps from the arena, but on the whole, if you love to explore, you would enjoy this show.

On leaving the arena, it was difficult not to be inspired by Bear and the human race, and its ability to achieve anything by using the power of the heart and mind.

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