Rosebud Live at Riverside Studios - Sir Lenny Henry
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What is the significance of Lenny Henry's early career?
Coming to you live from London, this is Giles Bradruth with another episode of Rosebud.
Welcome to Rosebud. Welcome to another episode of Rosebud. And every week I say to you, this is a special episode of Rosebud. And this one is another very special episode of Rosebud. Oh, by the way, if we've not met before, my name is Giles Brandreth and I am the host of Rosebud, which is a podcast of which there are more, a hundred more earlier episodes. So if you enjoy this one, feel free to go back and dip into our catalogue. We really have had conversations about people's early memories with all sorts of folk. Today, my special guest is somebody who I've admired ever since I first saw him on television. I think I saw his very first appearance on TV when he popped up on a talent show called New Faces.
He was only 16 and he won that talent show. This was the young Lenny Henry. Then I got to know him as a very funny man. on the Lenny Henry Show in the 1980s. And later still, I came to admire him hugely as an actor.
How did Lenny Henry's upbringing influence his comedy?
I went to see him in Othello, and I've since, well, got to know him a bit. We have occasionally worked together. But today, we are going to be Rosebud on the Road. We're travelling to London, to Hammersmith, to the Riverside Studios, which is a fascinating building that's seen cinema history, back when it was built. Later, television history. Shows like Hancock's Half Hour were made there. Later still, theatre history. I've appeared there myself in a couple of shows. Somebody who has appeared there before is Lenny Henry, which is why he was keen to come back to Riverside Studios to be part of Riverside Studios' 50th anniversary celebrations. So this is a conversation, a Rosebud conversation, with me and Sir Lenny Henry and a special audience.
I hope you will enjoy it. Actually, I'm almost certain that you will. Cue the applause.
Do you remember the first time you came into this building?
What challenges did Lenny face as a black comedian in the UK?
It was in the 80s, isn't it? I lived nearby. I lived on Sinclair Road in Shepherd's Bush. And I used to come here and see things. And the first thing I saw here, I think, was what was it, Albert. And I was here with David Threlfall and I watched it. And I was baffled. blown away by this extraordinary story with two actors, two black actors from a theatre in Cape Town who came here and they basically did this whole show where they played 26 different characters between themselves. And David and I watched it and just thought, that would be a brilliant thing to do, a show like that. And then the next time, I think I saw Scrape Off the Black by Tunde Ikoli. Two occasions of two extraordinary plays where I thought, yeah.
And... Those plays actually connected me to a sense of black heritage, if you like. I was very young and I'd grown up in Italy and talk like these and I hadn't seen much black theatre. The people I'd seen who were off colour in the theatre were a band called New World who won Opportunity Knox.
How did Lenny Henry transition from comedy to acting?
LAUGHTER At Birmingham Alexandra Theatre, and they were in Robertson Crew Show with Dick Emery. So those are the only black people I've seen in the theatre. So to come here and to see these extraordinary performances made me go, ooh, OK, maybe this is something I could do too. So this was a great place to come in those days.
Good. Well, we're going to begin at the beginning of your story. It's a very good place to start. That's where we're going to start. OK. And I have to ask you this question. Lenny Henry, or, if I may say so, Lenworth.
Yeah, my mum named me after the doctor that delivered me. Really? Dr Lenworth was his second name.
What was Lenny's experience like performing Othello?
Oh, thank you so much. It was a tampon, baby. You really helped me. You really helped me drag him out. What's your name again? Lenworth. I'm calling him Lenworth.
So who was George? Because it's Lenworth George Henry, isn't it? I don't know.
I don't know who George was, but Lenworth George Henry is my name, so I've got three first names.
Well done. Lenworth George Henry. Thank you. Born on the 29th of August, 1958.
What role did Lenny's family play in his success?
Yeah, that's right.
Same day as Michael Jackson.
Really?
Yeah. Very good.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the significance of Lenny Henry's early career?
0:00–1:28
2
How did Lenny Henry's upbringing influence his comedy?
1:28–2:35
3
What challenges did Lenny face as a black comedian in the UK?
2:35–3:35
4
How did Lenny Henry transition from comedy to acting?
3:35–4:14
5
What was Lenny's experience like performing Othello?
4:14–4:40
6
What role did Lenny's family play in his success?
4:40–5:11
7
How did Lenny Henry handle fame and public perception?
5:11–5:59
8
What lessons does Lenny Henry share about resilience and identity?
5:59–1:12:03