HE travelled around the world in 80 days as an amateur actor and now Jonathan Bedford is setting out on a similarly exciting journey as a professional.

Shepley-born Jonathan is just back from a working trip to Bruges and is busy with a series of theatre dates in West Yorkshire with regional company Icabod Productions.

Icabod, based in Yeadon near Leeds, spent 12 days in Belgium presenting Anton’s Shorts, a series of classic sketches by Anton Chekhov at the English Theatre of Bruges.

Jonathan said: “It’s been a great experience. There were just four of us, three players plus the director, working in a 400-plus seat theatre, which for us is quite a big venue.”

Back home in Yorkshire, the company is now touring regionally with shows this week in Leeds, Otley and Pateley Bridge.

It’s all a bit of a whirl for the 28-year-old who got the acting bug courtesy of local amateur theatre company the Pierrot Players.

The group stages most of its shows in Shelley Village Hall and Jonathan, who still lives in the neighbouring village of Shepley, was encouraged to join the society as a teenager.

Jonathan went to Shelley High School, renowned for its arts teaching, but never got involved with drama while he was there. He found his inspiration for theatre elsewhere.

“I left Shelley when I was 16 and went to Huddersfield Technical College where I worked with a teacher called Bill Hall and got my A-levels through him,” said Jonathan.”

“I got into theatre because of Pierrot Players. A mate was involved and he got me to go along. I didn’t know what I was doing but I really enjoyed it.”

That nurturing by Pierrot Players, plus the guidance of Bill Hall, helped develop his passion for drama and the idea that perhaps a career in theatre was possible.

“I really got into the A-levels and realised that I had an ability to act and maybe that ability might lead to a job in theatre. Bill Hall was the teacher who inspired me. He taught me the craft and the basics of how to act and how to perform.”

Jonathan went on to university and did a theatre studies course in Scarborough getting his honours degree from Hull University.

As well as amateur productions with Pierrot Payers, Jonathan appeared with the Lawrence Batley Theatre’s community company and took centre stage four years ago playing Jean Passepartout, the hapless servant of Phileas Fogg, the man who takes on a wager to go Around the World in 80 Days.

Critics at the time said that it was Jonathan who stole the acting honours in the colourful stage adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic story.

“It was a wonderful experience. I love the Lawrence Batley Theatre. It’s a magnificent place to play.”

Certainly that acting journey helped fuel Jonathan’s determination to make a living out of acting.

He’s worked on a professional Shakespeare project in Leeds and this week with Icabod Productions is heading for The Carriageworks in Leeds (Wednesday and Thursday), Otley Courthouse (Friday) and Pateley Bridge Playhouse (Saturday).

He still shares the family home with his father, Christopher, and both dad and sister Elinor have backed his acting career every inch of the way and won’t miss his performance in this latest show, Anton’s Shorts.

And after he finishes touring with Icabod? “We’ve invited loads of agents to come and see the shows this week. I’m hoping that one of them might sign me up.”

After that, the world’s his theatrical oyster.