Midlands Heroes: Dudley boy Sir Lenny Henry is 'Still at Large'
Stand-up legend and co-founder of Comic Relief Sir Lenny Henry needs no introduction - but as this week’s Midlands Hero, we’re going to give him one anyway.
Star of Chef!, Broadchurch, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Sir Lenny has cut an impressive rug on the small screen for decades.
The most prominent black British comedian of the late 70s and 80s, much of Sir Lenny’s stand-up material has always served to celebrate and parody his African-Caribbean roots - and of course his roots in the West Midlands.
Born at Burton Road Hospital, Dudley, on August 29, 1958, Sir Lenny was named after the doctor who delivered him - but it wouldn’t be long before he would eclipse this namesake with his own achievements.
Henry attended St John's Primary School and later The Blue Coat School in Dudley, before completing his schooling at W. R. Tuson College in Preston, Lancashire, and then going on to conquer the world.
Sir Lenny's formative years in comedy were spent in working men's clubs, where he impersonated mainly white characters, such as the Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em character Frank Spencer. His earliest television appearance was on the New Faces talent show in 1975, aged 16, which he won with impersonations of Frank Spencer, Stevie Wonder and others.
Carving out a career in comedy, Henry enjoyed a meteoric rise. In 1980, he performed in Summer Season in Blackpool with Cannon and Ball. He has since said that "the summer season was the first time [he] felt that [his] act had received a proper response from an audience".
The first series of The Lenny Henry Show appeared on the BBC in 1984. The show featured stand-up, spoofs such as his send-up of Michael Jackson's Thriller video, and many of the characters he had developed during Summer Season, including Theophilus P. Wildebeeste.
The Lenny Henry Show ran periodically for a further 19 years in various incarnations. Across the incarnations, he performed impressions of various American celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Tina Turner, Prince, and Michael Jackson.
It was in 1985 that Henry co-founded Comic Relief with Richard Curtis, and in 1988 the first-ever Red Nose Day saw more than 150 celebrities and comedians taking part in a BBC broadcast watched by 30 million viewers, which raised more than £15 million.
Acting roles, including a part in The Witcher: Blood Origin, have been a mainstay for Sir Lenny for years. But he has always stayed true to his stand-up pedigree, and soon will be bringing the laughs back to his hometown.
The legendary comic and actor will perform Lenny Henry: Still At Large at Dudley Town Hall on Sunday May 10.
The show will be part stand-up, part storytelling and part conversation as fans get the chance to ask Sir Lenny anything they want.
Rupert Knowlden, venues manager for Dudley Borough Halls, said: “A Sir Lenny homecoming is always an incredibly special show, and we can’t wait to welcome him back to Dudley Town Hall again.
“In the show Lenny traces the roles, characters and moments that have defined his remarkable career – and shares what continues to inspire him now as he reflects on a life lived out loud.
“Expect big laughs and a celebration of the many versions of Lenny.”
Following this, Sir Lenny is set to share stories about his life as he brings an exclusive performance to a major festival comedy stage in the east of England.
Henry will be appearing at the Latitude Festival at Henham Park in Suffolk as one of the headline names of the festival's 20 year anniversary of placing comedy on an equal footing with music.
Appearing alongside comedy greats such as Ross Noble, Jen Brister, Jack Dee, Josie Long, Rosie Jones, Phil Ellis and Fatiha El‑Ghorri, the festival marks Sir Lenny's only festival appearance in 2026 as he sets out on his Still at Large Tour.
Still At Large, blends stand-up, storytelling, and conversation as Sir Lenny reflects on the experiences that shaped him while exploring the ideas and creativity driving him today.
He said: "I'm delighted to be bringing Still At Large to Latitude for their 20th anniversary, and it's the only music festival I'll be performing at this year, so this really is a special one.
"Latitude has built this wonderful reputation for comedy over the years, and that means a lot to me.
"This show is my celebration of five decades in this business, from standing up in working men's clubs as a teenager to playing an elf in Middle-earth.
"I'll be sharing stories about the characters I've played, the people I've met, and the moments that have stuck with me from The Lenny Henry Show and Chef! to Othello and everything in between.
"There'll be plenty of laughs, a lot of heart, and hopefully some surprises along the way and It feels like the perfect place to celebrate not just Latitude's incredible twenty years, but my last five decades. Can't wait!"
Melvin Benn, Latitude Founder and Festival Director, said: "Twenty years ago, Latitude became the first festival to place comedy on equal footing with music, and that bold vision has shaped everything we've become.
"This anniversary lineup perfectly captures that spirit.
"From Jack Dee's masterful deadpan to Jen Brister's fierce intelligence and Ross Noble's anarchic brilliance, alongside performers like Marcus Brigstocke, Rosie Jones, David O'Doherty, and Josie Long, who have all been part of Latitude's comedy story over the years, this is a celebration of two decades of laughter.
"We're especially thrilled to welcome Sir Lenny Henry for what promises to be a truly special performance."
You can have him for the weekend, Suffolk - but Sir Lenny will always be ours at heart.
