It could only have been a sight for sore eyes. A flurry of naked men and women running screaming from a burning building, while the sound of firecrackers punctuated the air.

“Yeah, I didn’t actually mean to burn down the brothel in Macau, it was meant to be a practical joke.

“I knew a couple of my fellow riders were being, let’s say, serviced inside, so I thought it’d be funny to set off some fireworks... it didn’t quite pan out as I’d planned.. I blew the place up.

“I ended up being imprisoned for a spell and I’ve been permanently banned from Macau ever since.“ I’m speaking with Steve Parrish, motorcycle, truck and sportscar racer and motorsport commentator about an ill-fated prank he pulled in 1984.

Thirty years may have passed, but Steve’s fondness for practical jokes certainly hasn’t waivered. He’s coming to the Harlow Playhouse for a show recounting his somewhat illustrious career and his penchant for pranks.

Steve is a motorsport legend in his own right. Expelled from school aged 15 for taking the wheel nuts off the history teacher’s Triumph Herald car, he was forced into an agricultural apprenticeship in Royston, Hertfordshire, where he befriended a motorcycle enthusiast and learnt as much as he could about bikes – so much so he built his own.

Four years into the apprenticeship, his racing career took off and he turned professional aged 22, over the years winning a host of prizes including the British Motorcycle Championship, twice.

Since 1985 Steve has turned his talents to commentating, and says he’s seen the sport change dramatically over the years.

“In the past it was all about the tomfoolery. That’s what my show is about, that’s what I talk about. Sport used to be something of a hobby, but these days if you’re having fun in the industry you’re a dying breed.

“It was a bunch of guys in my day travelling the world, just having a laugh.“

  • Steve Parrish: The Life and Times of Stavros is at Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Harlow, on February 20. Details: 01279 431945 playhouseharlow.com Amie Mulderrig