COMEDY IS a capricious mistress, and many a comedian who had the world in the palm of their hand can find nothing but dust a few years later.

Which is why it is all the more remarkable that Lenny Henry, who only a few years ago appeared to have abandoned the quest for laughter in favour of serious acting, finds himself with a sold-out West End show and on a tour of the UK.

The success of So Much Things To Say, Henry's new show, follows his reinvention of his comedy and a new willingness to tackle the most difficult subjects.

He said: "It covers subjects such as birth, death, desire, heartbreak, the war in Iraq and growing old.

"Wherever in the world I'm performing, people come up to me afterwards and say, 'yeah, that meant something to me, I've got an old relative in a nursing home too'.

"It strikes a chord and appeals to a wide demographic of people from 12 to 70. I suppose that's a tribute to the universality of the show.

"Before writing it I went round Shepherds Bush with a tape recorder asking people what they were thinking about.

"It was fascinating to get genuine opinions about a host of different things - like a 50-something Jamaican housewife talking about what the war in Iraq means to her.

"The idea was to hear the sort of voices you wouldn't normally hear on the West End stage.

"It's important to remember that ordinary people have opinions and if you take the trouble to ask, they are often very coherent.

"Of course, sometimes they also say 'bananas are the instruments of Satan'!

"I'm really, really happy with what I'm doing now. I once thought character comedy was a bit transitory and wanted to do things with more depth.

"I looked covetously at other comedians doing movies and TV dramas. But having done all that, I now realise that if you do it well, there is absolutely nothing better than character comedy."

Lenny Henry: So Much Things To Say is at the New Theatre, Cardiff, on Sunday.

Tickets range from £9 to £21.50 from the box office on 02920 878889.