Profiles

The comedian will star in a production of Shakespeare's famous tragedy at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. 

Lenny spoke, with BBC Radio Leeds' Graham Liver, about his nerves at taking on a role so far out of his 'comfort zone'. He also says how he knew that his surprise casting was in safe hands with Northern Broadsides.

Henry, who turned 50 this year, first hit the limelight after winning theTV  talent show New Faces in 1975, made a Radio 4 programme in 2006 about overcoming his schoolboy hatred of Shakespeare  He has said: "It seemed to me that Shakespeare was very much in the province of posh people.

"I'm black, I'm from Dudley, I'm working-class. Shakespeare's not for people like us.  But then when you study it, the way I have been. You realise that it's for everybody."

Othello will form part of the spring season at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2009 before going on a UK tour. The production is a joint venture between the Northern Broadsides company, based in Halifax, and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.