Sir Lenny Henry: Television industry facing 'huge moment of change'
Black Country comic Lenny Henry has said the British film and television industry is on the brink of a significant 'moment of change' that will be driven by women, black people and other minority groups.
Lenny was speaking ahead of his role in the BBC's much-anticipated three-part adaptation of The Long Song – Andrea Levy's prize-winning novel about life in 19th century Jamaica during the final days of slavery.
The popular actor and comedian has campaigned for greater storytelling diversity on screen, giving evidence to the Government's culture, media and sports committee in 2014 – and more recently delivering a letter to Downing Street calling for tax reliefs to help boost the number of women, black and minority and ethnic and disabled people working in film and television.
Speaking to the Observer ahead of the programme launch, Lenny said: "How we tell our stories and what sort of stories we tell is changing. What’s happening is a coalition of all us jumping in and saying: ‘I’ll tell my story, why don’t you tell your story? That’s a good story? Let’s hear that too’.
WATCH a trailer for The Lost Song
"It’s a moment of change and it’s going to be driven by women, by black and brown people, people with disabilities, gay people, Jewish people. They’re all pushing to make this multiplicity of stories that will change our lives in the next 20 to 40 years.
“Tax breaks for representation and inclusion within the industry will open a lot of doors. If we can get people to agree to it and to understand that it will benefit the industry, then it will lead to a huge unblocking of people’s minds and allow them to understand the idea of giving everyone a chance.
"The wider the industry becomes, the greater variety of stories you will see being told. It’s a privileging of several different perspectives so that you don’t just get the same gaze all the time.”
Lenny added that he hopes The Lost Song's prominent position in the BBC's Christmas schedule will lead to more diverse programming.
"This is a rarity, but it doesn’t have to be," he said.
"We’re all still sitting here on the bench waiting to go on. And we’re ready. We’re ready to write the thing, to perform in the thing, to help to create the thing. And once we are given that chance then you will see more works like The Long Song because there are a million stories to be told in every endeavour of life that can move us and make us laugh and cry and think.”
The Lost Song – starring Lenny as watchful plantation butler Godfrey – airs on BBC One tonight at 9pm for three nights.
