It all started with Elvis (From Daily Echo)

Comedian Lenny Henry, on tour with his one-man show, talks about sharing his love of music

4:02pm Friday 4th March 2011 in Stage Interviews By Lorelei Reddin, Entertainments Editor

LENNY Henry looked at his computer one day and realised he had 28 days’ worth of iTunes downloaded, he tells Scene South.

“I knew it already, of course,’ he says, “but it was proof positive that I’m a big music lover.”

That realisation became the seed of an idea which blossomed into Cradle To Rave, his new one-man show currently touring the country.

“I’m a massive consumer of music but I also realised that I’m not able to share the music I’ve got inside me with other people because I can’t play a musical instrument. I can sing and move a bit. But it wasn’t until I was 40 – that’s 12 years ago – that I started learning to play the piano, on the same day as my daughter, Billie.

Not that Lenny’s afraid of taking risks. His recent performance as Othello in Leeds, on tour and then in the West End had critics dusting off their superlatives.

“Yes, Othello was scary,” he agrees. “I’d never done Shakespeare before. I’d never really got it. Then I took a degree in English Literature and slowly came to realise that they’re just great stories written in extraordinary language.”

Lenny’s last stand-up show, So Much Things To Say, had been directed by the highly respected Simon McBurney. “I wanted to work with someone of a similar calibre this time round to give the show some structure.”

Once the seed of his latest show was planted, a chance meeting took it on another step.

Lenny happened to be in New York for a series he was making for Radio 4. “I walked into a restaurant and immediately saw Steve Martin and Paul Simon sitting at a table having lunch together. Steve Martin is one of my favourite comedians on this earth; Paul Simon is one of my favourite performers.

“As I moved forwards, not looking where I was going, I tripped over a chair, a table, another chair, another table and a chair. In sequence. The waiters thought it was hilarious, Steve Martin just looked the other way. In fact, he knows who I am because I once did an impression of him and he left me a very long, funny answer machine message.”

Keeping his head down, Lenny tried to get through his meal as quickly as possible.

“Suddenly, Steve was at my table saying hello and introducing me to a man called Sam Buntrock who’d just directed a Broadway production of Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George. I took his card.”

Fast forward a few months and Lenny and the producers were discussing who might direct Cradle To Rave. “I put Sam’s name in the ring, never thinking we’d get him. But we did! And that’s why I know we’re on the right track already.

“It’s a musical journey through my life. The first thing I ever did on stage wasn’t telling jokes but impersonating Elvis.”

The funnyman will also be recalling his childhood. “I sang nursery rhymes to Billie each evening and, when she was older, read almost every Harry Potter book to her. But I don’t remember my parents singing to me.

So, the first half of the show will track Lenny from babyhood to teenager. “In the second half, I’ll talk about moving to London and getting married and the compromises you have to make musically. Dawn (French, his ex) had her music; I had mine.

Dawn will crop up a lot in the second half. Inevitably, says Lenny. “We were together for 25 years and she’ll always be a part of my life. We’re best friends. It’s unfortunate that we’re getting divorced but what’s really good is that we’re united in our love for our daughter.

This is a busy time for Lenny. As well as criss-crossing the country in Cradle To Rave, he’ll also be hosting a new BBC1 Saturday night show called Magicians.

n Lenny’s show continues at The Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth on April 1 (0844 576 3000), Southampton Guildhall on April 8 (023 8063 2601) and Portsmouth Guildhall on May 6 (023 9282 4355).

For a chance to win tickets to his Southampton show, see today's Daily Echo