Arthur Smith

Arthur Smith is a comedian and also a comedy writer, who apart from being the self-proclaimed Mayor of Balham, has written four plays including, An Evening with Gary Lineker (with Chris England) which was nominated for an Olivier Award and made into a TV film and Live Bed Show which had a run in the West End, starring Caroline Quentin and Paul Merton.

In 1989 Arthur played the part of the pub manager in a classic episode of BBC’s Red Dwarf. This was the episode where Lister and Rimmer finally arrived back on earth only to discover time was running backwards. With some brilliant trick photography and ingenious stunts, the bar room brawl turned into a bar room tidy up.

Arthur Smith as a comedian, has played all over the country. Venues have included the Comedy Store, Jongleurs, and assorted West End theatres. His show (with Tony Hawkes), Arthur Smith Sings Andy Williams played Edinburgh and then the Comic Strip in New York. His strange version of Hamlet transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre, London. Basically he’s a very funny man who has any audience in stitches.

Is Arthur Smith grumpy? Apparently so. That’s why in 2003 he ended up in BBC2’s ‘Grumpy Old Men’ TV series. This took an in-depth look at men aged 35-54, who are probably the grumpiest sector of our society. Part documentary, part comedy, it allowed a line up of middle-aged stars to moan about modern life. Arthur joined fellow whingers the late John Peel, Rick Wakeman, Will Self, Bob Geldof, Simon Hoggart, John O’Farrell and Richard Madeley.

Their litany of complaints includes designer labels, body-piercing, fast food, call centres and technology. Also included are, built-in obsolescence, people talking loudly on mobile phones, radio traffic reports, and the UK government’s Cones Hotline.

Arthur Smith currently presents BBC Radio 4s ‘Excess Baggage’ for BBC radio and his ever-popular ‘The Smith Lectures’ on BBC Radio 2. More recently his radio comedy for BBC Radio 4 has included Arthur Smith’s Last Hangover and Arthur Smith’s Balham Bash.

Arthur has three books out, his latest published in 2019: 100 Things I Meant to Tell You: Rants, Rhymes, & Reportage from the Original Grumpy Old Man Author.

• Comedians