In the new TV programme 'Lenny鈥檚 Britain', Lenny Henry meets up with people from all walks of life to find out what makes the nation laugh, what it tells us about who we are, how Britain has changed, and how that has been reflected in comedy. As part of the research for the programme, a 鈥渏oke booth鈥 will visit Liverpool where members of the public will be invited to come in and tell their favourite joke or funny story. The results will be analysed by The Open University and the results will feature in the show. | "I'm going to be travelling back to some of the places where I began my career." | | Lenny Henry |
There is also a more serious side to Lenny鈥檚 Britain. Marie Gillespie, Senior Lecturer in Sociology with the Open University and chief academic working on the series said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to feel the pulse of British humour though the joke booth. We鈥檙e going to show you how humour is a kind of a social barometer 鈥 it reflects the changing social and political climate of Britain. We鈥檙e going to see whether certain听 themes or jokes recur and what the Big Joke tells us about British identities today鈥. This is one of the biggest joke collecting projects every conducted in Britain and we鈥檙e reaching out to everyone 鈥 regardless of age, gender, class, ethnicity 鈥 to take part and help us reveal something about who we are today." After the Joke Booth collects the jokes and stories from the public via the Joke Booth, the Open University will analyse the results and will report back on the fascinating findings. Lenny Henry said: 鈥淭his is a very exciting project for me, as I'm going to be travelling back to some of the places where I began my career. I shall also be performing new material based on what people reveal to me on my tour and in the joke booth.听 I鈥檒l be talking to people about what is distinctive about the humour of their particular region funnier. Are Scousers funnier than Cornwellians? Are Glaswegians more capable of raising a chuckle than Brummies - I intend to find out all this and more, and by the end of it - I'm hoping to get a show out of it!鈥 The Joke Booth will be at Liverpool's St. John's Shopping Centre on Tue 29th and Wed 30th Aug 2006. | 
