An Evening with Sir Lenny Henry
Come throoooough...
Just a very little post today, to flag that on January 25, I’ll be hosting an evening with the legend that is Sir Lenny Henry to talk about his life and career, as a fundraiser for the Bush Theatre, which uniquely focuses on British and Irish writers, with Black and Brown voices to the fore.
Lenny’s first play as a playwright, August in England - an exploration of a life blown apart by the Windrush scandal - premiered there, directed by the theatre’s artistic director Lynette Linton, and readings from the play will form part of the evening, in which I will mostly just ask the odd question and then let him hold forth.
As is the case with many (for which read, almost all) arts organisations, the Bush, despite sold-out performances, two recent West End transfers (Red Pitch and Shifters), and a vital community of supporters, finds itself on a financial precipice due to rising costs, and a real-terms shrink in funding.
Talent development is the raison d’être of the venue, but many of these pathways are in jeopardy - the annual Open Submissions call-out for scripts, which provides an opportunity for writers without agents or connections to have their work read; the long-standing Emerging Writers Group, which has nurtured talented writers including including Benedict Lombe (Lava and Shifters), Beru Tessema (Wolves on Road), and Coral Wylie (Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew, which opens next February).
Lack of funds, and consistent spiralling costs, mean the theatre hasn't been able to engage script readers and the programme is now at risk of dissolving. This event will, we hope, go some way to building up some reserves to secure it for the future. Tickets are available now, at the Bush Theatre website.
Tender, and Wolves on Road, are showing in the Bush theatre spaces until January 4 and December 21 respectively