If you've ever wondered what kind of person willingly dives headfirst into crocodile-infested waters, wrestles with giant anacondas, or casually points out how a tarantula could melt your face off — meet Steve Backshall. Adventurer, presenter, author, and all-round animal maniac (the loveable kind),
Steve has spent the last couple of decades getting way too cosy with the kind of animals most of us would sprint away from. We caught up with Steve ahead of his Deadly Live! show at Motorpoint Arena, to find out what thrills and spills audiences can expect from the show, how he handles those hairy moments (literally), and deep dive into some of Steve’s favourite animal experiences.
So Steve, what are you most excited about for this tour – and how will it compare to shows you’ve done in the past?
I'm most excited about the scale of this tour, the venues are really big and we have been given the opportunity to be really ambitious about what we try and achieve. I've just been able to let my mind go crazy and come up with all sorts of wild and weird stuff, bloopers, slapstick, craziness, and stage science, think a TED talk meets a Christmas panto but on a massive scale!
Besides the obvious - less extreme weather, a comfy hotel whilst touring and access to Deliveroo, what do you think a live show brings to the animal experience compared to a TV show?
I think that the TV show can sometimes feel quite removed, and sometimes impossibly exotic, it can make the wildlife experience feel like something that is beyond most people, and I need to make sure that it's not that. In an arena, I am there in front of people as a tangible entity, a real person just like them, and I can bring to them all the wonders of the wild world in a way that's super accessible and happening in three dimensions in front of them.
Have you learnt anything new whilst preparing for this tour?
I've been working in tandem with a team called Dinomania who are absolute geniuses and are creating many of the three-dimensional giant dinosaurs that will be encountered alongside our giant modern animals! These guys are so passionate about prehistory and palaeontology and have found a wonderful wild way of creating character in their movable dinos. It's been a joy working with them.
Health and safety regulations aside – which animals would you most want to bring on stage?
If I didn't really have to think about health and safety or reality… I'd bring a giganotosaurus on stage! Probably slightly bigger than a T-Rex, completely overwhelming and if I didn't have the audience's attention after that then I'd probably just have to give up and go home!
I've just been able to let my mind go crazy and come up with all sorts of wild and weird stuff, bloopers, slapstick, craziness, and stage science, think a TED talk meets a Christmas panto but on a massive scale!
You’ve dealt with all sorts of camouflaged creatures and endangered wildlife. What was the hardest animal to find during Deadly 60?
The hardest animal to film in Deadly history has been the mountain lion. We've tried four times in the past and never succeeded. However, we're going back after the tour to Patagonia to try and film them. Patagonia is probably the best place in the world where we have the most chance of finding puma up close and we're all super excited.
We’re always blown away by the behind the scenes footage on wildlife shows - hunting down the perfect spot, and often waiting for hours for a creature to walk by! What is your favourite animal to observe in the wild?
I would say my favourite animal to see in the world is the orca. There is so much about their biology that is exciting, so much about the way they live, communicate, have creative strategies for catching their prey and work together as a unit. They are utterly fascinating.
Ok- we have to finish with the most obvious question! What is your favourite animal?
Other than the orca, my favourite animal is the wolf and for many of the same reasons. The wolf howl is the most bewitching sound in nature. It puts the hackles up on the back of your neck, and again the fact that these are team players that have to strategise and chat to each other in order to figure out how to take on animals that are bigger than they are, always blows my mind.
Deadly Live! Hosted by Steve Backshall comes to Nottingham on Saturday 25 October at 2pm.
motorpointarenanottingham.com
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