MUSICAL actor Ben Turner is planning a theatre show of his own – just months after brain surgery to remove a cancerous tumour.

Ben, 24, of Honley , was making a name for himself in London.

But that came to an abrupt halt when doctors found a growth on his brain (pictured).

Ben, who toured the UK and the Far East with Su Pollard in the musical Annie, fell ill after returning home.

Now, after open-brain surgery and a six-week combination of radiotherapy and tablet chemotherapy, Ben is fighting back to health.

And while he’s in recovery, Ben is organising a show to raise up to £5,000 for the Brain Tumour Charity.

“This isn’t about me,” said Ben. “I just want something good to come out of something bad.”

Ben, well-known in Huddersfield theatrical circles, is matter-of-fact about what he has been through.

“Of course it was a shock and very scary but this is what happens in life sometimes and I now want to devote my recovery time to raising awareness and raising funds for research,” he said.

Ben, who moved to London in 2006, had been working hard on tour.

He returned from Singapore last August but started to suffer some “strange” symptoms.

Ben, an accomplished singer, dancer and actor, was usually fit and healthy but was suddenly hit with dizzy spells, nausea, headaches and black-outs.

They all passed after a while and Ben thought over-work, tiredness and stress had taken its toll.

Alarm bells rang when Ben’s vision went blurry and refused to clear and a visit to an optician’s revealed his optic nerves were swollen. He was sent straight to hospital.

After three trips to three different London accident and emergency departments, Ben got his shock diagnosis in December.

A CT scan and an MRI scan revealed a growth on the right side of his brain.

In February he underwent surgery which removed 95% of the tumour. It was deemed too dangerous to take away the rest.

A biopsy found the tumour to be cancerous and radiotherapy and chemotherapy followed.

“It was so unexpected and a sudden realisation of how important your health is,” said Ben.

“It was very scary and, of course, it affected me deeply but you have to get on with it.

“I have always been a positive person and I want good things to come out of a bad situation.

“I have had my down days – I’m only human – but I am passionate about wanting to help others.”

Ben, who lives in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, decided to stay in the capital to fight his illness.

“I felt it would probably be too comfortable for me at home,” he said.

Ben, who has lost much of his hair during radiotherapy, still has blurred vision.

He has also lost his left-sided peripheral vision but hopes his eyesight will eventually return to normal.

Ben expects his recovery to take another six months at least and, in actors’ parlance, says he is currently “resting.”

He completed his treatment less than two weeks ago and is now spending time back with his family in Honley.

A scan at the end of the month should reveal whether the treatment has been successful.

“Anyone who has what I would describe as ‘alien’ symptoms should not ignore them like I did,” he said.

“Go to a doctor and get them checked. It will only take half-a-day and it could save your life.”

Ben is now busy organising his In the Spotlight variety show at the Holmfirth Picturedrome on Sunday, October 13.

Local and nationally-known performers will go on stage for a night of musical theatre.

Su Pollard, the former Hi-de-Hi! actress turned stage star, hopes to compère the event and Holmfirth artist Ashley Jackson has offered his support.

Ben is also collecting donated raffle prizes and has charity boxes in shops.

In all he aims to raise £5,000. His Just Giving website page raised £300 in the first three days so he is well on target.

Tickets for the show cost £10 and are available from www.picturedrome.net

Donations can be made at: www.justgiving.com/benjamin-james-turner