Spanish walk role for Darren

But when Blackpool-born thespian Darren Hill decided to take a one-man play on the road, he ended up walking up to 18 miles a day for 35 days.

Darren, 46, a former pupil of Arnold School (now AKS in Lytham), has just completed the Camino de Santiago, a walking route across Spain undertaken by thousands of pilgrims a year.

As well as completing the trail, Darren also performed his play almost nightly during his journey, in town squares and hostels.

The actor, who now lives in Chicago but is currently visiting family in Marton, performed ‘Underneath the Lintel’ about a librarian who embarks on a quest after a book is returned 113 years overdue.

Darren said: “A lot of people do the Camino as a pilgrimage, and are searching for something so I think the play struck a chord with them.

“When I got to Santiago I had a good cry and I think it was because I was so tired.

“But I found as a I went along the journey, as I put my costumes on, all the tiredeness and aches would go away.

“And when I finished, all the aches and pains would come back, so it was like I had a different source of energy.

“The people I met along the way made the walk very memorable for me, even if we just spent a couple of hours on the road together.”

Darren performed the play on 26 nights of the journey, during which he walked for 35 days with just a couple of short rest breaks.

He is now planning to make a documentary about his experience.