Galahad of Everest

Thirty-five years ago, Brian Blessed set out to recreate George Mallory’s historic 1924 Everest ascent. Dressed in replica 1920s clothing and climbing without oxygen, the actor braved altitude sickness and hallucinations, eventually climbing to 26,000 feet in what must arguably be his most audacious and sincere adventure to date.

‘Galahad of Everest’, directed by John-Paul Davidson (Around the World in 80 Days, Himalaya, The Man in the Hat) showcases Brian’s lifelong obsession with Mallory’s fate and the extraordinary physical determination displayed by the 53-year-old as he follows in his hero’s footsteps. The documentary film premiered at the Odeon in Leicester Square prior to broadcast on BBC Two.

The film features extracts from Mallory’s original diaries, archival footage from 1922 & 1924, and a rare interview with Captain John Noel, director of ‘The Epic of Everest’ and a member of the original expedition team. Leading mountaineers Sir Chris Bonington and Reinhold Messner advise Brian as he prepares for his summit attempt, and he also receives a blessing from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

This rare screening at Riverside Studios is presented by The Tashi Lhunpo Monastery UK Trust in aid of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, India and will feature Brian Blessed in conversation with director John Paul Davidson , sharing stories of endurance and inspiration from the roof of the world.

Tickets:

1. £30 General Admision unreserved seating - single ticket
2. £100 `Special Admission - single ticket with reserved seating and VIP merchandise pack (Includes: an original Quad Movie Poster for the 1991 UK Theatrical release of 'Galahad of Everest' signed by Brian Blessed and John Paul Davidson, TLM incense, Dukar Wheel and 17 Golden Greats CD. All items will be available for collection from Riverside Studios on admission to the screening)
3. £130 Special Admission - 2 X tickets with reserved seating and 1 X VIP merchandise pack

Galahad of Everest (Certificate U) 1hr 28min

Director: John Paul Davidson

Filmed on location in the UK, India, Nepal and Tibet 1988-1990

The documentary will be screening from a new digital transfer made from the original Betacam broadcast tapes

BRIAN BLESSED OBE

Brian Blessed was born in 1936 in South Yorkshire. From his small-screen debut in the BBC series Z Cars in the 1960s he has become one of Britain’s most familiar and best-loved actors.

Brian has performed on stage in every type of production from Shakespeare to Cats, while his big screen roles have included Robin Hood’s father, Lord Locksley in Prince of Thieves and Prince Voltan, warrior leader of the Hawkmen in the 1980’s cult classic Flash Gordon.

Away from acting he has become known as an adventurer and climber, scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, surviving a plane crash in the jungles of Venezuela and trekking to the magnetic north pole.

At the age of seven he read about George Mallory’s 1924 ascent of Everest and this inspired a lifetime’s dream of recreating the historic climb. He met and became a close friend of Captain John Noel. He made three attempts to climb Everest, and although he never gained the summit, reached a height of 28,200 feet (8,600 m) without oxygen in 1993, earning the admiration of many fellow mountaineers.

THE TASHI LHUNPO MONASTERY UK TRUST

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery UK Trust was founded in 2003 to support the work of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Exile. The Patron of the Trust is His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The objectives of the Trust are to share the culture of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery with as wide an audience as possible in order to ensure its survival in exile, and to support the monks through offering donations towards their day to day expenses, medical care, education costs as required.

The Trust is a Registered Charity No. 1100175.