YOU don’t need to love antiques to want to hear what David Harper has to say when he brings his ‘Unexpected Tales’ tour to Frome Memorial Theatre on Wednesday 13th November.
David Harper is a BBC TV presenter well known for his appearances on Bargain Hunt, Antiques Road Trip, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, Flog It and For What It’s Worth.
Frome Times spoke to David ahead of his ‘unexpected, unscripted, live performance’ at Frome Memorial Theatre.
He said, “My show is a really different night out, it’s a theatrical show. You do not need to have a particular interest in antiques to enjoy this show. I guarantee that you will walk away having learned something, be shocked by something and be surprised throughout. It’s isn’t like anything you have experienced before!
“I tell a number of stories about my time on BBC shows, the backstage anecdotes; meeting funny celebrities, telling you stories that could get me arrested! But you will need to come along to find out what they are!
“The evening is fully led by the audience, come armed with your questions and I will answer them. That’s what I love about theatre, it’s marvellous, I have to deal with everything thrown at me live! Fly by the seat of your pants stuff.
“Most people come along and try to get me into dark alleyways with their questions and it’s always funny to see me try and wriggle my way out of them. I’ve heard that there are a lot of interesting people in Frome, so hoping for some good questions.
“I share wild, dangerous stories about my time on the BBC, my best and worst finds, things I regret selling, my biggest losses and profits – real stories! Because there is nothing funnier than real life. Literally anything can happen and it usually does.
“I haven’t been to Frome before, at least I don’t remember going, but with the nature of my work – I film in a variety of places for just 24 hours, so some places I don’t think I’ve been to, turn up and recognise it instantly. So we will see if this happens in Frome!
“But I will be doing my research because I like to add some local history into my show with an audience participation quiz, test their knowledge – there are some great furniture and antique stories in Somerset, so I’ll get reading.
“Ultimately, it is an old fashioned British theatre show, just me talking with an audience, no props, no videos just me! So come along, armed with your questions and we can see where the night takes us. You may even be a lucky audience member who will walk away with some of my artwork – whether you want it or not!”
Frome is renowned for its markets, so Frome Times asked David for his top tip in finding some bargains!
He said, “Don’t think about the money because that will blow your brain. Look for a passion, everyone has something that they enjoy collecting or has an interest in. Find that, research it and go out and look for those things.
“The more you learn, chances are the more money you can make. But stick to a few areas, have the passion and it will work out.”
David will bring his show to Frome Memorial Theatre on Wednesday 13th November at 7.30pm. Tickets are £14 and are available from http://www.fmt.website.
