Sir Lenny Henry has declared that racism and the rise of the far-right remain “still at large” ahead of his first nationwide stand-up tour in more than 15 years.
The 67-year-old Comic Relief co-founder spoke to The Sunday Times about the themes underpinning his new show, which shares its name with the issues he believes persist in society.
“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,” he teed up.
He went on: “Like racism, the rise of the far right, the tumult we’re in as a world at the moment.
Lenny Henry has claimed racism ‘is still at large’
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“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.”
Mr Henry grew up in Dudley during a period of intense racial hostility in the West Midlands.
When he was six years old, the Conservative candidate Peter Griffiths secured the neighbouring Smethwick parliamentary seat using the campaign slogan “If you want a [racist slur] for a neighbour, vote Labour.”
Four years later, Enoch Powell delivered his “rivers of blood” address in Birmingham, just a few miles from Mr Henry’s home.
Lenny Henry is returning to touring with his new comedy show
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The comedian has spoken frequently about the racist abuse he endured during his youth.
His mother, Winnie, had arrived in Britain shortly after the Windrush, while his father Winston initially remained in Jamaica with Henry’s four older siblings.
Through his work, Mr Henry has long been a passionate advocate for better minority representation in the arts.
His latest stand-up tour, which launched in May, will take Henry to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff before wrapping up at the Hackney Empire in London on November 3.
Lenny Henry shot to fame in 1970s
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Mr Henry explained that he abandoned touring 16 years ago because he found it “exhausting” and “needed a break,” though he continued performing occasional one-off gigs.
The decision to return came while performing theatrical productions including August In England, which he wrote himself, and Every Brilliant Thing by Jonny Donahoe.
“When I was interacting with the audience, they were egging me on to do more outside the script,” he said. “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.”
Mr Henry launched his entertainment career by winning the television talent competition New Faces in 1975, aged just 16, with impressions of Frank Spencer, Stevie Wonder and other characters.
Lenny Henry hasn’t toured for a decade and a half
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He became a household name through his appearances on the Saturday morning programme Tiswas from 1978 to 1981, where he created memorable characters including Rastafarian Algernon Razzmatazz and Trevor McDoughnut, his parody of newsreader Trevor McDonald.
His eponymous BBC programme, The Lenny Henry Show, ran from 1984 to 2005, while he also appeared in Three of a Kind during the same era.
In 1985, Mr Henry co-founded Comic Relief, which has raised more than £2 billion for charitable causes.
More recently, he appeared alongside George Clooney and Adam Sandler in last year’s film Jay Kelly.