Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Comedian and co-founder of Comic Relief, known for alternative comedy and characters like Theophilus P. Wildy Beastie and Delbert Wilkins.
On the island
Eight records
The keepsakes
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:39You didn't actually win New Faces, did you? You lost to Marty Kane.
I'm glad actually, because Marty had to go to Las Vegas and she sent me this postcard that said basically. You know, everything's plastic. I want to come home. And um I'm I'm glad'cause I think being like sixteen, seventeen in Las Vegas with all these showgirls and in the middle of a lounge with people walking by saying, Martha, can I play the machines? I don't think I would have liked that very much, you know.
Presenter asks
5:29So you were large and uncoordinated, right?
Large, uncoordinated and spotty, which didn't help, which is why which is why I started to do impressions'cause I thought, Well, I'm not gonna get girls any other way. I've gotta have something to attract them.
Presenter asks
10:19Tell me about working with the Black and White Minstrels.
The o the thing about it is the thing the only offensive point is that they black up. They're actually quite nice they're very nice people and I and I ... Yeah, I learnt a great deal. There were lots of jokes, unkind jokes in the press about, you know, oh, the makeup comes off and all that stuff. And I sort of dealt with that because I was only like sixteen or whatever, which is which in Shelby's terms is like being four. But as I got on, I really did take offence to the blacking up and those stupid Stephen Foster songs, you know, all the doodader, Jesus. And, you know, having to give black consciousness awareness meetings to all the minstrels, you know, Lenny, we're not trying to cope with being black, but it's so difficult for us because really it is a facade. And so I would give them, you know, I would raise their consciousness about blackness. And they would, you know, I'd teach them to dance and stuff, teach them to have rhythm, stuff like that. So it was pretty cool.
The book
Joseph Heller
I've read it four times and I still don't know what it's about. So I think it's a book that bears repeated reading. It's such a good hoot and funny and it's got great characters like Yasarian.
The luxury
I'd have to take some graphic novels with me. Now graphic novels are things like The Watchman by Alan Moore, Cerebus by Dave Sim and Dark Knight by Frank Miller.
Presenter asks
13:58When did you invent Delbert Wilkins, the Brixton DJ?
Dalbert Wilkins first saw the light on Ott as the Brixton Milkman. ... I was working with this guy called Kelvin, and I had this one car journey with Kelvin, and he said, you know, and you know what I mean, about 4,000 times all the way. And you know what I mean? Actually, it suffices for any situation. Like you say, look at my car, man. They've clamped it. You know what I mean? Oh, it's raining again. You know, I mean. Wow, look at this suit. You know, I mean, it actually fits any situation, you know. And I just thought, what a good character. And I did it as the Brixton Milkman, who not only delivered milk but had like British oil shares, you know, seat airline tickets, wicked suits, televisions, everything. And we did the definitive delbut after that on Three of a Kind, where he came on in an anti-de-price suit and talked about how the clubs have changed and you know, you know, and how everywhere is a club, they use any venue, you know.
Presenter asks
15:18But these characters are black stereotypes. Haven't you been accused of that in the past?
Early on, early on, and I must contest that actually, because whatever your race is or whatever you are as a person, wherever you come from, whether you're from a middle class background, I think you're allowed to make jokes about the community where you come from. You know, it's like Jackie Mason, the Jewish comedian, you know, he does jokes about the differences, the cultural differences between Jews and Gentiles. I think that's allowed. Dave Allen talks about being Irish and Catholicism and stuff like that.
Presenter asks
16:53Was there a point at which you decided to throw out all the old impression material and concentrate entirely on your own characters?
It was a a gradual thing. It w didn't all happen at once. Nineteen eighty one, this I mean, this alternative comedy thing had been going for a couple of years and it was starting to come to a head. ... It to put it into its per perspective, it was like punk. In me it was it gave comedy a big kick up the bum because for the first time People in London had an alternative. That's the only reason why the alternative was used. It's a bit of a millstone now, it doesn't really mean anything. ... And I thought, well, actually, this is the kind of stuff I want to do this. I can find my niche in this. I know that this is the sort of material that I should be doing. How do I change my image? Because at that time, my image was cheeky Lenny, cheeky, lanky, loony, lovable Lenny, you know, and he just a bit of a laugh, you know. He's a black lad, he doesn't mind having a bit of a laugh on himself, you know. And that's who I was at that time.
“Large, uncoordinated and spotty, which didn't help, which is why which is why I started to do impressions'cause I thought, Well, I'm not gonna get girls any other way. I've gotta have something to attract them.”
“I really did take offence to the blacking up and those stupid Stephen Foster songs, you know, all the doodader, Jesus.”
“I think you're allowed to make jokes about the community where you come from. You know, it's like Jackie Mason, the Jewish comedian, you know, he does jokes about the differences, the cultural differences between Jews and Gentiles. I think that's allowed.”
“When I first came back, I said, Oh, I want to give everything away. But you after I sobered up. I realize that by being who I am, by doing what I do, it actually helps more than if I just became a field worker or something, you know.”
“I think I'd have to take Catch 22 because I've read it four times and I still don't know what it's about. So I think it's a book that bears repeated reading.”