FOLLOWING the successful tour of Jones and Smith last year – his one-man, stand-up and story show about his partner, his untimely death, their relationship and the onset of ageing - Griff Rhys Jones is going back on the road to explore the subject of travel.

The dates include a stop at Salisbury Playhouse on January 19 and Christchurch Regent on February 9.

Where was I? takes as its starting point some of Griff’s jaunts from the last fifteen years. He has sailed a boat to St Petersburg and around the Med, as well as travelling in Morocco, the Galapagos, India and Australia. But mostly he has ventured forth to work for TV, making Greatest Cities, A Slow Train to Africa, In Search of the Black Rhino, Burma and The Forgotten Army and several series of Three Men In A Boat.

He’s going to look behind those “making of” snippets for the real truth about TV travel.

His work has also included wandering from The Torres Straight Islands to Mali, from Moscow to Dar Es Salam, riding “the train of death”, and jumping from a burning boat in the Galapagos.

He has unwillingly climbed up mountains and abseiled down waterfalls, gone window cleaning on New York skyscrapers without a safety rope and clambered through Manchester’s sewers. And all without the help of Bear Grylls.

He will be telling plenty of stories but also musing on the nature of travel itself - about the differences between travel and tourism. Why do we go? What are we searching for? What do you need to pack? Why does television demand jeopardy, incident and immersion? And what exactly does that mean for your sanity? Every aspect of the mania to leave home will be under consideration and some for the armchair traveller too.

For tickets contact Salisbury Playhouse on 01722 320 333 and Christchurch 01202 499 199 or visit www.salisburyplayhouse.com