First gig in 16 years

Sir Lenny Henry is to perform his first stand-up comedy gig in 16 years next week.

The comic is to headline the Perth Festival of the Arts on May 30, with what he describes as a ‘comedy lecture’.

‘The acting has been something I've been very proud of and want to continue,’ he told the BBC. ‘But I love the idea of having an hour of comedy you can do, in your pocket.’

He said he wanted to use the Perth gig – opened by  Fred MacAulay and also featuring a Q&A about his 50-year career – ‘as a foundation for that’.

‘I love my audience and I want to show them I'm not just Lenny the impressionist, Lenny the writer or Lenny the actor,’ he added.

Read his full BBC interview, which also touches on his diversity crusade and hid decision to step back from Comic Relief, here. 

Published: 20 May 2025