Adventures in a (mainly) Wonderful World
June into July | Recent Scottish Adventures and officially announcing my next GREAT ADVENTURE - read on, book tickets!
Dear Fabulous Friends | Aspiring Adventurers
I am writing to you from a wee house in the north west of Scotland overlooking the wild Hebridean sea. I’m here because I’ve just added two new adventures to my adventure-tick-list.
Earlier this week, I walked the 79 mile Great Glen Way which links Fort William to Inverness. I completed it solo, in four days, which was tough-going as I was carrying all my stuff. My dear mountain mentor Adele Pennington - the ‘pocket rocket’ who features in my book Save Me From The Waves - met me off the sleeper and walked with me for the first hour to set me off on my way. The ‘Great Glen Way’ is less well known than Scotland’s great ‘West Highland Way’ but it’s utterly glorious. The first two days along the Caledonian Canal are basically flat (yay) before the path ascends high over Loch Ness and then down into Inverness where I was greeted by a monster!
And then yesterday, I completed The Highland Coast to Coast Challenge – 36 miles from Ullapool to Ardgay – with three friends from the Long Distance Walking Association (and around 175 others). I completed it in a leg-labouring 12 hours (my companions were marginally quicker, but they are all hares and I have a tortoise-reputation to uphold).
It’s been a spectacular double adventure – and continues to confirm that this ‘Unlikely Athlete’ may claim she doesn’t like exercise, but a long walk in our (mainly) wonderful world, punctuated by a comfy bed, good food and booze is her adventure joy (just don’t ask me to wild camp or go at speed).
As I often say: ‘An adventure will always change your life for the better!’ It’s why I’m a proud Ambassador for AdventureMind and also brings me neatly onto my next GREAT ADVENTURE - because, dear everyone reading this, I have BIG & BRAVE news!
This September one of my childhood adventure dreams is coming true! If you’ve read my books or seen me talk, you may remember that when I was a child I wanted to be an actress. That is, until I realised I’m not very good at playing other people, I’m only good at playing me. So I ditched that dream and ended up running a theatre instead. For a decade I was Executive Director and Chief Executive of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. It was a huge homecoming to have the book launch of Save Me From The Waves there last year. I even joked at the time about finally getting my way and appearing on a theatre stage. Well, NOW, that DREAM REALLY DOES COME TRUE! Because this summer I’m making a show…featuring me, and some very special guests.
Jessica Hepburn’s Great Adventure – an inspirational journey from sea to summit.
Premiering at Theatre Royal Plymouth – 11th, 12th & 13th September
Jessica Hepburn is an unlikely adventurer and she wants to tell you her story in her own words – with music – because every great adventure needs a soundtrack!
Labelled the ‘arty’ not the ‘sporty’ one in school, she’s always been more at home treading the boards of a theatre, than scaling the slopes of a mountain. But in her mid-forties she started to adventure her way out of heartbreak becoming the first woman in the world to complete the ‘Sea, Street, Summit Challenge’ – swim the English Channel, run the London Marathon, and summit Mount Everest. All fuelled by listening to every episode of her favourite radio programme Desert Island Discs.
This is the inspirational true story of Jessica’s Great Adventure which transformed her into an activist for the power of adventure to transform your life. Each night she will also be joined on stage by a special guest who will share their life’s greatest adventures with you, too. From their first to their last adventures. From their health to their heart adventures. From the adventure that went wrong, to the person they’d most want as their adventure companion.
Join us for an extraordinary theatrical journey from sea to summit.
ON SALE NOW – details and tickets here!
The show is being directed by my dear friend Sean Holmes – who was Artistic Director and Joint CEO with me at the Lyric, and who is now Associate Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe. It’s being produced by Franny Rafferty who was one of our Producers at the Lyric and is now Lead Producer at the Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP). And I have to blame (and truly thank) another dear colleague from my Lyric days for making it all happen – James Mackenzie-Blackman. Back when we worked together James was basically my 20-something protégé and prodigy (I’ve always been good at choosing great people to work with). Now he’s Artistic Director and Chief Executive of TRP, and listed in The Stage’s 100 most influential figures in British Theatre. He challenged me to ‘make a show’ and obvs I’m a woman who loves a challenge.
I am especially excited by the inclusion of the nightly ‘Special Guest’. That’s because although I give a lot of solo public talks, I’ve personally never been a massive fan of the one man/woman show. I’m keen for there to be another voice on stage alongside me. Plus, some of my all time favourite theatre shows have involved ‘Special Guests’ such as Improbable’s Lifegame and The Play What I Wrote. I also love a celebrity-in-conversation (it’s why I’m a devotee of Desert Island Discs) and, if you know me at all, you’ll know I love asking questions (just call me Michael Parkinson in a dress). So, Jessica Hepburn’s Great Adventure will be inspired by all these things and more. There will definitely be music, some theatre magic, and maybe even a bit of audience participation. Plus, there will be tears, laughter and plenty of thought provoking conversation. Some of my special guests are already confirmed and I’m totally thrilled as I know audiences will know and love them. But you’ll have to wait until July for the full reveal. The show opens in Plymouth in September for three performances only. And if it goes well – who knows – next stop: London, the UK, the world?! But come to Plymouth if you can. And maybe also…
You’ll get invited to VIP post show drinks, and an opportunity to join me on a ‘micro adventure’ in the South West (all to be revealed soon).
Plus, my Big & Brave Family get all the treasure on my internet island including:
Invites to my monthly online ‘Shit Into Superpower’ (SIS) Sessions’ which I deliver with Dr Tara Lal – which are all about turning your struggles into strengths and living your biggest, bravest, most beautiful life.
Weekly emails from me with my most vulnerable writing – which I keep behind paywall exclusively for my B&BF – like my most popular post ever ‘Something Raw & Vulnerable – I’m Shift-Stuck.’
If you’re someone who wants to make your life alive with adventure; if you’re someone who likes deep talk, not small talk; and if you’re someone who wants to feel part of a community of passionate and purposeful people – then come and hang out for a while.
And finally,
Whilst Jessica Hepburn’s Great Adventure – THE SHOW - is probably much more in Jessica Hepburn’s comfort zone than some of the other great adventures she’s been on, I will always attribute swimming the English Channel to being the adventure that truly transformed my life. As I wrote in Save Me From The Waves it’s why I now call the water ‘my home’. I take a dip at least once a week and am trying to swim in 50 new locations this year (pools, ponds, puddles I’m not fussy). I’ve been having a superb summer-of-swimming so far. And next Saturday I will be part of the team led by the lovely Lorraine Candy (Sunday Times best-selling author and host of the chart-topping ‘Postcards from Midlife Podcast’ ) swimming the Bournemouth Pier to Pier to raise awareness of the British Heart Foundation’s work. It’s not too late to join us! And if you need encouragement or inspiration then check out my insta post on my recent swimming adventures – including a trip to the Hampstead Ponds with my 93 year old mum! If she can, YOU can!
With love Jessica
PS. Here’s a list of some of my forthcoming adventures - maybe see you at one or more of these? I hope so!
Saturday 5th July - Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim for the British Heart Foundation
11th, 12th, 13th September - Jessica Hepburn’s Great Adventure - Theatre Royal Plymouth
21st September - Books & Boots, Richmond (Yorkshire) Walking & Book Festival
1st - 4th December - The Adventure Retreat, Scotland
9th - 15th May 2026 - The Adventure Retreat Formentera
PPS. If you’ve read all the way to here THANK YOU - and if you can spare a few more seconds please do ‘like’ or send me a comment as it helps more people find my adventure inspiration, and also makes me feel your love xxx
Love reading your adventures and find you totally inspiring
Is there any way I can catch up on your previous Shit into Superpower discussions? I would love some more inspiration to shift my arse into a more positive era 🤣🤣
Half way through this powerhouse of a year and look at all you’ve achieved so far … bring on part two I say … 💪☀️🤸♂️🥰❤️