Lenny Henry has declared that racism is "still at large" in the UK as he undertakes his first standup tour in more than 15 years. The comedian, best known for The Lenny Henry Show which aired from 1984 to 2005, highlighted that the topics he addressed in the 1980s remain pertinent today.
Relevance of Past Issues
Henry explained the title of his tour, Still At Large, carries a dual meaning. "The reason the show is called Still At Large isn't only because I'm still at large, but because things I used to talk about in the 80s are still at large now – like racism, the rise of the far right, the tumult we're in as a world at the moment," he told the Sunday Times. He added, "These are things we have to deal with, and I think it's all right to talk about these things because I'm 67, so I'm allowed."
Personal Experiences with Racism
Born and raised in Dudley, Henry was six years old when Conservative candidate Peter Griffiths won the neighbouring Smethwick seat with the infamous slogan: "If you want a [racist slur] for a neighbour, vote Labour." Four years later, Enoch Powell delivered his "rivers of blood" speech in Birmingham. Henry has frequently spoken about the racist abuse he encountered during his youth.
Henry began his career after winning the TV talent show New Faces in 1975. In 2009, he played Othello in a West Yorkshire Playhouse production that toured the UK before transferring to the West End. He mentioned that although he continued to perform one-off gigs, he stopped touring 16 years ago because he "needed a break" and found it "exhausting."
Inspiration from Comedy Icons
Henry draws inspiration from comedy legends. "I'm a massive fan of Billy Connolly, Richard Pryor and Chris Rock, and I feel that as they grew older they became better, because their authenticity came through stronger," he said.
His tour, which began in May and runs until 3 November, received a four-star review from the Guardian. The review praised the show as a "victory lap" featuring his greatest hits.
Return to Standup
The Comic Relief co-founder revealed that the idea to return to the stage emerged during performances when he realized audiences wanted more off-script interaction. "I got a bit tired of the travelling and I thought I didn't want to do it for the rest of my life, but it turns out I didn't want to stop it completely," he said. "When I did a one-person show I wrote called August In England, and then Every Brilliant Thing, written by Jonny Donahoe, I found that when I was interacting with the audience, they were egging me on to do more outside the script. I thought, 'oh, they want me to do a set again.' So, I started to think two years ago about what that would look like."
Henry is also known for his appearances on Tiswas and Three Of A Kind, and has long been a passionate advocate for better minority representation in the arts.
