Lenny Henry’s Cradle to Rave

When I was a kid my mum never let my brothers and I stay up late and watch anything on TV…until The Lenny Henry Show came along.

I remember it being quite a cutting edge comedy show, and we used to love sitting and watching it together…something that never happens any more with all our busy schedules.

Needless to say, seeing Lenny Henry at the Festival Theatre as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2012 was a great way to re-live some wonderful childhood memories, which would have only been trumped, had I met the man himself.

Cradle to Rave is Lenny Henry’s tribute to the music that he grew up with, and that made him the man and comedian that he is today. Lenny discusses all his musical influences literally from the cradle until now, sharing family stories, awkward teenage moments, Othello monologues and all the other sounds that helped shape his life.

For this number one fan Lenny certainly delivers with a hilarious and interactive show.

Even though you’re sitting down, all posh and theatre like, in those bright red Festival Theatre seats, Henry still seems to make you want to forget your “theatre” behaviour and move in your seat to the beat or jump up and start dancing…even if it is to C&C Music Factory’s Everybody Dance Now and you’re doing the running man.

Henry is a smart, funny and amiable man who has an innate ability to relate his stories not only to music, but also to the variety of age groups that were dotted throughout his audience. He really is the everyman, even managing to make a few dad jokes that you probably wouldn’t encourage your dad to make, but in his case you make an exception, because he’s just so wonderful.

One show in Adelaide was just not enough for Henry to reach all Adelaideians, more people need to find out what a fantastic performer he is, a performer who has not only given me some amazing laughs over the years, but that I have no doubt will continue to do so. If you missed him though, you may need to wait another seven years for him return to Adelaide…let’s hope the music keeps inspiring him.

#adelaidecabaretfestival2012 #adelaidecabaretfestival #festivaltheatre #lennyhenry #adelaide #cabaret

– Suzanna Parisi

Originally published in DB Magazine (street mag no longer exists - link no longer available)