When you hear the name ‘James May’, it’s likely you think of cars, Top Gear, and The Grand Tour, but much like his co-stars, May has plenty of other projects.

He owns his own pub and gin line, and has done countless shows visiting other countries, rebuilding toys and machines, and exploring life’s questions.

May’s now onto his next journey – a live theatre performance that brings the stories of explorers to the stage.

It’s called ‘Explorers: The Age of Discovery’, and May’s bringing it to Kiwi audiences in August.

It’s been quite a busy year for May – something he told Mike Hosking was quite unintentional.

“This year was going to be my, what I called a ‘dry run at retirement’, to see how much I liked it,” he revealed.

“But I’ve ended up doing a live tour, a couple of TV shows, various other odds and ends – it's actually the busiest year I’ve had for probably a decade, in terms of demands on my time.”

“But maybe that’s a good thing,” he said. “Maybe if I was left to my own devices, I’d sit in the garden and rot.”

Despite his vast experience in the entertainment industry, May isn’t terribly experienced with live performances.

“We used to do Top Gear Live and then Clarkson, Hammond & May Live, but there were three of us doing it, plus our stunt driving team and various other circus performers,” he explained.

“This one is quite intimidating because it just me."

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