Comedian Sir Lenny Henry has announced his first stand-up tour in more than 15 years, stating that racism remains "still at large" in society. The 67-year-old entertainer, who rose to fame after winning the TV talent show New Faces in 1975, explained that while he had continued performing one-off gigs, he stopped touring 16 years ago because he "needed a break" and found the constant travel "exhausting."
Tour Named After Persistent Social Issues
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Sir Lenny revealed the reasoning behind his tour's title. "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 said.
He added that these issues must be addressed and that at 67, he feels entitled to speak about them. "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," Sir Lenny noted.
Tour Dates and Venues
The tour, which began in May, will take Sir Lenny to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, and Cardiff before concluding at the Hackney Empire in London on November 3. The Comic Relief co-founder explained that the idea to return to the stage emerged from his recent performances, where audiences encouraged him to engage more spontaneously beyond the scripted material.
"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."
Career Highlights
Sir Lenny is best known for The Lenny Henry Show, which aired from 1984 to 2005, as well as his appearances on Tiswas and Three Of A Kind. He also starred alongside George Clooney and Adam Sandler in last year's film Jay Kelly. His return to stand-up marks a significant moment in his career, blending his signature humor with commentary on enduring social challenges.
