Comic Belief
It's been two years since comedian Lenny Henry last toured this country - and as the title of his new show explains, he has 'So Much Things To Say'.
In this bravura, wide-ranging act, he covers a huge expanse of territory, from parents, love, sex and reggae music to death, Iraq and war ("Huh! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again... actually, better not.")
Interspersing straight stand-up with a wealth of compelling characters, including Lister, a reactionary yet canny old shopkeeper, and Daniel, his son, a British soldier serving in Basra, 'So Much Things To Say' is quite simply a comic tour de force - as its numerous rave reviews testify.
Taking time out from preparing for the tour, Henry is in relaxed mode. He reflects on how the new show seems to connect with people around the world. "I've just been touring in Australia and New Zealand, and people there kept saying to me: 'Will audiences here understand the show?' But they absolutely did because it's universal and it tackles themes everyone can pick up on.
"It may be about a London family, but people from anywhere get it. It covers subjects such as birth, death, desire, heart-break, the war in Iraq and growing old. Wherever in the world I'm performing, people come up to me afterwards and say: 'Yeah, that meant something to me, I've got an old relative in a nursing home too.' It strikes a chord and appeals to a wide demographic of people from 12 to 70. I suppose that's a tribute to the universality of the show."
It may be that 'So Much Things To Say' clicks with audiences because Henry has taken pains to mirror what's on their minds. "Before writing the show," recalls the 46-year-old comedian, "I went round Shepherds Bush with a tape recorder asking people what they were thinking about. It was fascinating to get genuine opinions about a host of different things - like a 50-something Jamaican housewife talking about what the war in Iraq means to her.
"The idea was to hear the sort of voices you wouldn't normally hear on the West End stage. It's important to remember that ordinary people have opinions and if you take the trouble to ask, they are often very coherent. Of course, sometimes they also say 'Bananas are the instruments of Satan'!
The comedian continues, "I think it's a good thing to have a comedy show which features the voices of a disparate group of people talking about the kind of things that concern us all. That's what this show is for. With the rise and rise of Reality TV shows, people clearly love watching themselves. Maybe our job is to reflect that."
Through his characters, Henry is able to address big themes. "Like any drama, the show deals with issues such as love and betrayal. Just because they seem like little people leading little lives does not make them any less valid than so-called 'grown-up' drama. They're experiencing things that we've all experienced."
Nor is Henry afraid of including more downbeat material: he is not frightened of broaching such difficult topics for comedy as death and war. "One of the many things that Simon [McBurney, Henry's current director] taught me was the feeling that the audience don't have to be laughing all the time," recalls the performer.
"I know that phrase is like an arrow through the heart for a comedian because we usually have to have a laugh every ten seconds. But stories can have serious as well as funny elements. It's important that the peaks aren't all just laughs, but dramatic moments too."
Perhaps the most serious part of the current show concerns Iraq. Henry sees no problem dealing with this topic; he thinks it's only right and proper that comedians should be able to take on the gravest matters of the day. Henry admits: "beforehand my big worry was: 'How can you be funny about Iraq when it's so grim?' But you have to listen to yourself. I think that as a confused and concerned citizen, it's all right for me to express what I feel about this.
"The character of Daniel, the British soldier in Iraq, works because his characteristics are human and readily identifiable. His concerns are not 'I might be shot', but 'What's my girlfriend doing at home?'.
"That's something we all feel - that strong sense of missing home when we're away. They're simple, yet powerful observations. None of it is brain surgery, but I feel it is pertinent and worthwhile."
Returning to the live arena allows Henry to get back to where he belongs.
The stage is where he is at his most comfortable and his most confident, trading on his extraordinary natural rapport with people. But that does not mean he has to go over the top in his show.
'So Much Things To Say' displays an older, wiser Henry - as he would be the first to acknowledge. He seems to have reached the stage in his life, and in his career, where less is more. It's the surest sign yet that's he's grown up.
"You know," he concludes with a smile, "I'm really, really happy with what I'm doing now. I once thought character comedy was a bit transitory and wanted to do things with more depth. I looked covetously at other comedians doing movies and TV dramas. But having done all that, I now realise that if you do it well, there is absolutely nothing better than character comedy. After the show, people come up to me in the street and say, 'I loved that.'
"I can* hrell you what a kick that gives me."
18th Nov 2004