Lenny Henry looked at his computer one day and realised he had 28 days’ worth of music downloaded.

“I knew it already, of course,” he says. “But it was proof positive that I’m a big music lover.”

That realisation became the seed of an idea which blossomed into Cradle To Rave, his new one-man show which comes to Bradford this month.

“I’m a massive consumer of music, but I also realised that I’m not able to share the music I’ve got inside me with other people, because I can’t play a musical instrument,” says Lenny.

“I can sing and move a bit. But it wasn’t until I was 40 – that’s 12 years ago – that I started learning to play the piano, on the same day as my daughter, Billie.

“She long ago outstripped me, but I made up my mind that I’m going to try and play a piano as a part of this show. And that’s really scary.”

Not that Lenny is afraid of taking risks. His recent performance as Othello, first at the West Yorkshire Playhouse then on tour and in the West End, had critics dusting off their superlatives.

“I’d never done Shakespeare before, I’d never really got it. Then I took a degree in English Literature and slowly came to realise that they’re just great stories written in extraordinary language,” he says.

Thanks to a chance encounter, Cradle To Rave is directed by acclaimed Broadway name Sam Buntrock.

Lenny was in New York for a series he was making for Radio 4 when he walked into a restaurant and saw Steve Martin and Paul Simon at a table having lunch together.

“Steve Martin is one of my favourite comedians and Paul Simon is one of my favourite performers,” says Lenny.

“As I moved forwards, not looking where I was going, I tripped over a chair, a table, another chair, another table and a chair, in sequence. The waiters thought it was hilarious.

“Suddenly, Steve was at my table saying hello and introducing me to a man called Sam Buntrock who’d just directed a Broadway production of Sondheim’s Sunday In The Park with George. I took his card.”

Fast forward a few months and Lenny and his producers were discussing who might direct Cradle To Rave.

“I put Sam’s name in the ring, never thinking we’d get him. But we did! That’s why I know we’re on the right track,” says Lenny, who describes the show as a musical journey through his life.

“The first thing I ever did on stage wasn’t telling jokes, but impersonating Elvis. When I appeared at the Queen Mary ballroom in Dudley aged 16, I noticed that the crowd divided into musical tribes,” he recalls.

“I was a soul boy and there were a lot of Jamaican guys who thought all soul boys were gay. The Jamaicans liked reggae. And there were kids who were into glam rock and others who liked Black Sabbath. So I thought that would be a good basis for a comedy routine.”

Lenny will also be recalling his childhood. “I sang nursery rhymes to Billie each evening, but I don’t remember my parents singing to me,” he says.

“My dad was so tired and grumpy by the time he got home, he wouldn’t be in the mood for nursery rhymes. If anything, he’d question the lyrics: ‘Three blind mice? See how they run? I’ll tell you how they run. Into each other because they can’t see a blasted thing’.”

The first half of the show tracks Lenny from babyhood to teenager, while in the second half he talks about moving to London, getting married “and the compromises you have to make musically”.

“Dawn had her music, I had mine,” he says, referring to ex-wife, Dawn French. “On my side, there’d be Thin Lizzy, Public Enemy, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Talking Heads and Tom Waits. On her side, it would be Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Norah Jones. So we had to meet in the middle. Or, to put it another way, Sade.”

Lenny says it’s “inevitable” that Dawn’s name crops up in his show. “We were together for 25 years and she’ll always be a part of my life. We’re best friends,” he says.

“We like each other very, very much and want it to stay that way. Yes, it’s sad that we’re not together anymore, but what’s great is that, when we do see each other, there’s no acrimony. We’re getting on with it.”

This is a busy time for Lenny. As well as Cradle To Rave, he’s also hosting BBC1 Saturday night show, Magicians.

What with Othello, stand-up and TV presenting, no-one could accuse Lenny of sticking to one thing.

“You’ve got to present a moving target,” he says. “And you can’t be complacent. I’ve been a comedian now for 36 years, I like to think I can branch out a bit. Mind you, it’ll be weird walking out on stage again. Just me – and the audience.”

Lenny Henry: Cradle To Rave is at St George’s Hall on Friday, February 25, at 7.30pm. For tickets, ring (01274) 432000.