He has elicited laughs as acerbic chef Gareth Blackstock and nervous giggles as the smutty OAP Donovan Bogarde, but Lenny Henry will be hoping for an altogether more sombre reaction when he takes to the stage next year in a Shakespeare tragedy.

In an unexpected career move, the comedy great has announced he will play Othello in a touring production launching in Leeds during the spring.

Announcing his theatre acting debut today, the 50-year-old actor admitted his role would be “daunting” and a “new challenge”.

Henry, who is married to fellow comic great Dawn French, revealed he has wanted to play Othello since 1991 when he acted in the American film True Identity. In the mob comedy, Henry played a black actor who wants a role in the Shakespeare play but has to adopt the identity of a white man to escape the Mafia.

"The sub-plot involved my character understudying James Earl Jones in the role of Othello,” Henry explained today.

"He and I discussed the role many times over the filming period, and as one of America's premier black actors, I felt honoured to have the privilege of his wisdom.

"He told me that when the time was right I should jump in with both feet, work hard, keep my eyes and ears open and let the text do all the heavy lifting."

Henry said the theatre experience of French, who has appeared in an array of theatre productions, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, had also encouraged him to change direction.

"I do see this as something I'm going to want to do more of. I really like theatre and my wife has done a lot of theatre.

"I've seen her acting ability grow over the past 14 years and it clearly expands your brain.

"It's like doing the Knowledge. It gives you gravitas."

Henry, who found fame after winning the talent show New Faces in 1975, admitted his reputation as a comedian could attract a new audience to the theatre.

“I hope to get a diverse audience, people that haven't been to the theatre before.”

In 2006, the comedian made a Radio 4 programme about overcoming his schoolboy hatred of Shakespeare and has previously admitted: "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 director Barrie Rutter said he snapped up Henry after meeting him on a radio show.

"I first met Lenny over a microphone whilst recording an Othello speech for Radio 4. Afterwards, Lenny declared to me that sitting with his back against a wall, learning lines in a company of actors was a strong desire of his.

"I didn't need any prompting and two weeks later with West Yorkshire Playhouse on board as co-producers, we were able to offer Lenny a deal."

Othello will form part of the spring season at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds next year before going on a national tour with performances in Scarborough, Coventry, Bath, Kingston, Newcastle under Lyme and Halifax.

The production is a joint venture between the Northern Broadsides company, based in Halifax, and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

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