Lenny Henry has been making the nation laugh in various guises since the mid-1970s and now he will be offering audiences a chance to peek behind the comic curtain when he brings his new autobiographical show Who Am I, Again?: An Evening with Lenny Henry to the Ipswich Regent in November.
The legendary Sir Lenny Henry is one of Britain's best-known and celebrated comedians, with a career which began with cult stardom on children's television show Tiswas and which quickly developed to include writing, becoming a radio DJ, TV presenter, co-founder of Comic Relief and an award-winning actor playing Othello among other classic roles.
Henry first found fame when he won the 1975 edition of TV talent show New Faces with his impersonation of Stevie Wonder along with other impressions of Michael Crawford's Frank Spencer and Trevor McDonut (newscaster Trevor Macdonald).
In the 1980s he let the impression element of his act slide and put his vocal dexterity to a different use in sketch shows like Three of a Kind. He also teamed up with The Comic Strip, which featured young comedians like Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall and Jennifer Saunders, along with his soon-to-be wife, comedian Dawn French.
In 1984 he gained his own show in BBC1 which ran for 19 years and allowed him to develop both as a stand-up comedy performer and character comedian.
On this tour Lenny will offer audiences to see how his life and career have developed from his young life in Dudley to him playing in Comedy of Errors at the National Theatre and being a co-founder of Comic Relief.
In the first half of the evening, Lenny will take the audience through a jam session of funny and sad memories and stories - from growing up in the Black Country, puberty, school, friendship, family secrets and unashamed racism. With his mother's mantra of 'H'integration' echoing in his ears, Lenny will recount setting out on his rollercoaster ride of a career - but at every stage wondering: Am I good enough? Is this what they want?
In part two, Lenny will be interviewed by friend, broadcaster and author Jon Canter, writer of The Lenny Henry Show, for further insights into his life and career, followed by questions from the audience.
The evening will help Lenny figure out 'Who Am I Again?'
An Evening with Lenny Henry is at the Ipswich Regent on Tuesday November 26. Tickets go on sale on Friday May 17 at 10am at https://apps.ipswich.gov.uk
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