A BBC Radio Collection

Sir Lenny Henry’s Journey to Othello

Three BBC Radio programmes charting Sir Lenny Henry’s transformation from comic actor to tragic hero – including the complete full-cast production of Shakespeare’s OthelloLenny Henry used to hate Shakespeare. For over 35 years he avoided anything to do with the Bard – until, in 2006, he decided to find out just what the rest of the world saw in him. In this enthralling collection, we hear how Lenny’s late-flowering passion for the legendary playwright’s works set him on the path that led to his sell-out stage debut as Othello. Bringing together this behind-the-scenes journey with the final result, this collection culminates in Lenny’s standout performance in a dynamic full-cast radio production of Othello. Lenny and Will sees him going ‘in search of the magic of Shakespeare in performance’, starting at the recreated Globe Theatre. Talking to leading actors and directors including Adrian Lester, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Dominic Dromgoole and Patsy Rodenburg, he wonders why we put Shakespeare on a pedestal, and confesses to a newfound enthusiasm for his classic dramas. And, after reciting Othello’s last speech to Northern Broadside’s Barrie Rutter, he begins to wonder if he could take on the role for real...Lenny Henry Plays Othello takes up the story where Lenny and Will left off, continuing Lenny’s personal odyssey. Having been offered the chance of a lifetime by Barrie Rutter, he sets out on a long road of preparation. Listening to his audio diary, we hear his hopes and fears – and eavesdrop on everything from coaching sessions to boot fittings. From first rehearsals to curtain up, we follow his remarkable metamorphosis into Shakespeare’s betrayed Moorish general.Finally, in Lenny Henry in Othello, we hear Lenny’s acclaimed performance as the noble African commander whose mind is poisoned by the hate-filled Iago: a stunning achievement that won him the Evening Standard’s Outstanding Newcomer Award. Featuring the cast of the acclaimed West End production and with original music from Conrad Nelson, who also plays Iago, this mesmerising tale of love, jealousy, racism and desire will grip you from start to tragic finish. Cast and creditsLenny and WillPresented by Lenny HenryProduced by Simon ElmesWith Adrian Lester, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Barrie Rutter, Dominic Dromgoole and Patsy RodenburgFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 Mar 2006 and 23 Dec 2006Lenny Henry Plays OthelloProduced by Simon ElmesFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 Feb 2009Lenny Henry in OthelloIago – Conrad NelsonRoderigo – Matt ConnorBrabantio – Geoff LeesleyOthello – Lenny HenryCassio – Richard StandingDuke/Gratiano – David BeckfordSenator/Lodovico – Simon Holland RobertsDesdemona – Jessica HarrisMontano – Andy CryerEmilia – Sara PoyzerHerald/Gentleman – Chris PearseBianca – Victoria GeeWritten by William ShakespeareDirected by Barrie RutterProduced by David HunterMusic arranged by Conrad Nelson and performed by the castOriginal stage production created by Northern Broadsides and West Yorkshire Playhouse and staged in London by Sonia Friedman ProductionsFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 Feb 2010© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Lenny Henry (Author, Reader) 
One of Britain's best-loved personalities, actor and comedian Lenny Henry has appeared in numerous radio and TV series. His television credits include Three of a Kind and The Lenny Henry Show, while radio credits include Anansi Boys, Lenny & Will and Bad Faith. He has also starred in several theatre productions of Shakespeare's plays, including Othello and The Comedy of Errors.

And 4 other BBC documentaries

Lenny Henry's What's So Great About...?

A collection of BBC radio shows presented by comedian and actor Lenny Henry. 
 
Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, TV presenter: Lenny Henry is a multi-talented Renaissance man with a wide range of interests. But there are a few things (and people) he just doesn't get, despite their iconic status - and in What's So Great About...?, he explores them to find out what makes them so appealing. He questions the mystique surrounding Method Acting; discusses the benefits of Life Coaches with Phill Jupitus; hears about the joy of Maths from Carol Vorderman and asks Simon McBurney and Fiona Shaw to persuade him of the genius of Samuel Beckett. He also investigates the art of Jackson Pollock, meets stars from the world of Snooker to discover the lure of the cue and chats about Chaucer with Terry Jones. 
 
Lenny was once sceptical about Shakespeare too, but he's now a passionate convert. In Lenny Henry Plays Othello, we follow him as he embarks on his first straight stage role and first Shakespearean role, playing one of theatre's most tragic characters. From voice coaching to first night nerves, we eavesdrop on his journey from comedian to tragedian. 
 
In August Shines, inspired by his theatrical success in August Wilson's Fences, Lenny travels to Pittsburgh to tell the story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning African-American playwright. The city was also home to the bad-boy pop artist whose work Lenny explores in Andy Warhol: Time Regained. Visiting the Warhol Museum, he learns about the 'Time Capsules' - an artwork consisting of 300,000 eclectic objects assembled across the last 13 years of Warhol's life - and joins the audience for the unboxing of the mysterious Capsule 528... 
 
Finally, in the compelling 10-part series Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen, Lenny traces the long, painful road that black Britons have travelled on stage and screen, from the overt racial discrimination of the 19th Century, via the veiled slurs that persisted throughout the 20th, to today's more equal society. Talking to playwrights such as Kwame Kwei-Armah, and actors and directors including Carmen Munroe, Yvonne Brewster and Steve McQueen, he tells the story of black drama and the influential artists who have shaped it over the past century, and looks to the future to examine the prospects for young black British talent. 
 
Published by Penguin Random House Ltd 
Licensed by BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
MCPS 
Presented by Lenny Henry 
 
What's So Great About...? 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Ellen Burstyn, James Lipton, Phill Jupitus, Carol Vorderman, Celia Hoyles, Professor Brian Butterworth, Simon McBurney, Fiona Shaw, John Calder, James Knowlson, Brian Sewell, Julian Joseph, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Dennis Taylor, John Virgo, John Parrott, Terry Griffiths, Ardis Butterfield, Mike Poulton, Terry Jones 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 July 2008-11 June 2011 
 
Lenny Henry Plays Othello 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 February 2009 
 
August Shines 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Chris Rawson, Professor Larry Glasco, Kim Ellis, Jeff Folino, Sala Udin, Nelson Harrison 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 October 2014 
 
Andy Warhol: Time Regained 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Ben Harrison, Rick Armstrong, Tim Marlow, Erin Byrne, Benjamin Liu, Donald Warhola 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 September 2014 
 
Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen 
Presented by Lenny Henry 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
Series Consultant: Dr Michael Pearce 
Featuring: Bola Agbaje, Yvonne Brewster, Michael Buffong, Lolita Chakrabarti, Isaac Julien, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Mustapha Matura, Steve McQueen, Carmen Munroe, Horace Ové, Winsome Pinnock, Paulette Randall, Roy Williams 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-20 November 2015

One of Britain's best-loved personalities, actor and comedian Lenny Henry has appeared in numerous radio and TV series. His television credits include Three of a Kind and The Lenny Henry Show, while radio credits include Anansi Boys, Lenny &amp; Will and Bad Faith. He has also starred in several theatre productions of Shakespeare's plays, including Othello and The Comedy of Errors.

A collection of BBC radio shows presented by comedian and actor Lenny Henry. 
 
Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, TV presenter: Lenny Henry is a multi-talented Renaissance man with a wide range of interests. But there are a few things (and people) he just doesn't get, despite their iconic status - and in What's So Great About...?, he explores them to find out what makes them so appealing. He questions the mystique surrounding Method Acting; discusses the benefits of Life Coaches with Phill Jupitus; hears about the joy of Maths from Carol Vorderman and asks Simon McBurney and Fiona Shaw to persuade him of the genius of Samuel Beckett. He also investigates the art of Jackson Pollock, meets stars from the world of Snooker to discover the lure of the cue and chats about Chaucer with Terry Jones. 
 
Lenny was once sceptical about Shakespeare too, but he's now a passionate convert. In Lenny Henry Plays Othello, we follow him as he embarks on his first straight stage role and first Shakespearean role, playing one of theatre's most tragic characters. From voice coaching to first night nerves, we eavesdrop on his journey from comedian to tragedian. 
 
In August Shines, inspired by his theatrical success in August Wilson's Fences, Lenny travels to Pittsburgh to tell the story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning African-American playwright. The city was also home to the bad-boy pop artist whose work Lenny explores in Andy Warhol: Time Regained. Visiting the Warhol Museum, he learns about the 'Time Capsules' - an artwork consisting of 300,000 eclectic objects assembled across the last 13 years of Warhol's life - and joins the audience for the unboxing of the mysterious Capsule 528... 
 
Finally, in the compelling 10-part series Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen, Lenny traces the long, painful road that black Britons have travelled on stage and screen, from the overt racial discrimination of the 19th Century, via the veiled slurs that persisted throughout the 20th, to today's more equal society. Talking to playwrights such as Kwame Kwei-Armah, and actors and directors including Carmen Munroe, Yvonne Brewster and Steve McQueen, he tells the story of black drama and the influential artists who have shaped it over the past century, and looks to the future to examine the prospects for young black British talent. 
 
Published by Penguin Random House Ltd 
Licensed by BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
MCPS 
Presented by Lenny Henry 
 
What's So Great About...? 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Ellen Burstyn, James Lipton, Phill Jupitus, Carol Vorderman, Celia Hoyles, Professor Brian Butterworth, Simon McBurney, Fiona Shaw, John Calder, James Knowlson, Brian Sewell, Julian Joseph, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Dennis Taylor, John Virgo, John Parrott, Terry Griffiths, Ardis Butterfield, Mike Poulton, Terry Jones 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 July 2008-11 June 2011 
 
Lenny Henry Plays Othello 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 February 2009 
 
August Shines 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Chris Rawson, Professor Larry Glasco, Kim Ellis, Jeff Folino, Sala Udin, Nelson Harrison 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 October 2014 
 
Andy Warhol: Time Regained 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Ben Harrison, Rick Armstrong, Tim Marlow, Erin Byrne, Benjamin Liu, Donald Warhola 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 September 2014 
 
Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen 
Presented by Lenny Henry 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
Series Consultant: Dr Michael Pearce 
Featuring: Bola Agbaje, Yvonne Brewster, Michael Buffong, Lolita Chakrabarti, Isaac Julien, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Mustapha Matura, Steve McQueen, Carmen Munroe, Horace Ové, Winsome Pinnock, Paulette Randall, Roy Williams 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-20 November 2015

Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen

Lenny Henry presents this groundbreaking BBC radio series exploring a century of black British theatre, TV and film

Lenny Henry presents this groundbreaking BBC radio series exploring a century of black British theatre, TV and film 
 
In this fascinating ten-part series, Lenny Henry traces the long and painful road that black Britons have travelled on stage and screen, from the overt racial discrimination of the 19th Century, via the thinly veiled slurs that persisted through the first 70 years of the 20th, to today's more equal society. 
 
Interviewing playwrights, actors, directors and filmmakers – including Mustapha Matura, Roy Williams, Lolita Chakrabarti, Michael Buffong, Horace Ové and Steve McQueen – he tells the story of black drama and the influential artists who have shaped it over the past hundred years. 
 
Beginning with the breakthrough arrival of Kwame Kwei-Armah's celebrated tragedy Elmina's Kitchen to the West End, he goes on to examine the evolving depiction of Afro-Caribbeans on TV from Love Thy Neighbour to Desmond’s; explores the complex stage history of Othello; focuses on how Caribbean migration has been reflected on stage and screen; and journeys back to the 1960s and 70s to explore the spirit of protest that welled up with the advent of the Black Power movement. 
 
In addition, he looks at the burgeoning black theatre companies of the 1970s and 80s; charts the breakthrough of a host of powerful new voices in the 90s; scrutinizes attitudes towards homosexuality; investigates the current blossoming of new theatrical voices with roots in Africa and concludes with a look at future prospects and opportunities for black British talent.

Lenny Henry

Frances Barber

Nadine Marshall

Clare Perkins

George Fouracres

Full Cast

Four Full-Cast Plays & Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery

A quartet of original radio plays and nine darkly comic tales by Sir Lenny Henry 
 
Sir Lenny Henry has had a long and successful career as a comedian, impressionist, actor and presenter. Having starred in several plays in the West End and on radio, he was inspired to complete an MA in screenwriting and in 2011 penned his first radio drama, Corrinne Come Back and Gone, which opens this collection. He continued his writing career with three more Radio 4 plays and nine episodes of his comic monologue series Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery. 
 
Collected here for the first time, listen to these poignant and humorous original dramas, featuring an all-star cast including Frances Barber, Clare Perkins, Nadine Marshall, Claire Benedict, Tyrone Huggins, George Fouracres, Peter Bankolé and Lenny Henry himself. 
 
Corrinne Come Back and Gone – When Corrinne Jackson receives a letter from her daughter, inviting her to return to Jamaica after twenty years, she is overjoyed. Two decades ago, she left her abusive husband and fled to the UK, leaving her children behind. Now he is dead, and there’s a chance to set things right… 
 
Miss You Still – Grief-stricken after losing his wife and daughter, Midlands bus driver Charlie has shut himself off from the world. Then his colleague Joyce reaches out, sending her teenage daughter to help him. But the last thing 16-year-old Roxanne wants on her hands is a smelly old man who hears voices… A moving, funny story with a touch of the supernatural. 
 
Amsterdam – Taking her boyfriend and difficult teenage sons on a bonding trip to the Dutch capital, Juliet is hoping it will be a family weekend to remember. However, it’s not long before things start to go pear-shaped… 
 
In Vino Veritas – Reverend Marcus Campbell is a popular, charismatic pastor. His huge congregation adore him, and he’s about to do a deal with an American cable network that will see him preaching to an even bigger audience. But has success made him lose sight of his true purpose? 
 
Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery – Comprising two series and a Christmas Special, this anthology of genre-bending comic monologues, written by Lenny Henry, all have a twist in the tale. Among the characters telling their unusual stories are a blind man who experiences a modern-day miracle, an American GI who embarks on a life-changing relationship, a family butcher whose son is a musical prodigy, and a frustrated artist with a robot butler… 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Lenny Henry 
 
Corrinne Come Back and Gone 
Starring Claire Benedict, Doña Croll, Nadine Marshall, Clare Perkins, Petra Letang, Alex Lanipekun and Leah Ocran 
Produced and directed by Claire Grove 
 
Miss You Still 
Starring Lenny Henry, Clare Perkins, Bunmi Mojekwu, Amit Shah, Alex Lanipekun and Tranae Sinclair 
Produced and directed by Claire Grove 
 
Amsterdam 
Starring Frances Barber, Tyrone Huggins, Lee Hodge, Jack Loxton, James Lailey, Ewan Bailey, Scarlett Brookes, Adie Allen, Anne Bunting, Marc Beeby and Shuming Chen 
Directed by Mary Peate 
 
In Vino Veritas 
Starring Lenny Henry, Nadine Marshall, John Bradley, Peter Bankolé, Martina Laird, McKell David, Sean Murray, Lewis Bray, Cameron Percival, Liam Lau Fernandez, Elizabeth Counsell, Emma Handy, Ryan Whittle and Jeanette Percival 
Directed by Mary Peate 
 
Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery 
Performed by Lenny Henry, Monica Dolan, Tanya Moodie and George Fouracres 
Produced by Sam Michell 
 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Lenny Henry

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