DOWNTON Abbey patriarch Hugh Bonneville has been announced as the narrator for Conquering the Antarctic.

The show is a collaboration between City of London Sinfonia, one of the UK’s leading orchestras, and the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), as part of the Scott 100 Festival of Events celebrating the centenary of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-12.

Celebrating the epic journey to the South Pole by Captain Scott and his team, including Cheltenham-born Edward Adrian Wilson, the concert includes readings by Bonneville from Scott’s diaries, as well as stunning photographs from the original tour photographer Herbert Ponting.

There will also be the chance to hear the world premiere of British composer Cecilia McDowall’s piece Seventy Degrees Below Zero; a cantata for solo tenor and orchestra inspired by Scott’s final letter, which was addressed “To My Widow”.

Known to millions as Lord Grantham in ITV’s Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning drama Downton Abbey, Bonneville has performed with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as starring in films, including Notting Hill and Mansfield Park, and numerous television roles.

The tour starts Friday and comes to Cheltenham Town Hall on Wednesday next week.

For information and tickets, visit cheltenhamtownhall.co.uk or call 08445 762210.