Profiles

Arthur Smith came to this year's Cambridge Comedy Festival to perform a live 'audience with' show at the University Centre in June.

Cambridge Comedy Festival director, Andy White, caught up with Arthur Smith

You’re appearing as part of the Cambridge Comedy Festival - will this be the first time you’ve performed live in Cambridge and what can the audience look forward to from the show?

I played the Footlights Club a coupla times and the ADC with a revue group I was in many years ago. In this show I may read the racy bits from my autobiography.
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Are there any other acts appearing at the Festival that you’d like to go and see?

No _ not now anyway - I’m in the middle of loads of gigs and any night off I want to spend in silence.
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You’re a comedian, an author, a play writer, an actor and presenter but would you say performing live stand-up is your first love?

Not my first – that was writing - but it is easier than writing and much more fun.
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You began performing stand-up during the 80s amid the alternative comedy circuit alongside the likes of Alexi Sayle and Rik Mayall; does the comedy circuit of today excite you as much now as it did then?

I am amazed at how big it has become - we all thought it would fade away. I find a kind of blockhead mysogeny among too many young male acts.
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You turned down the Perrier Award Lifetime Achievement Award... was this because of a dislike of awards or utter disgust at the idea of fizzy water?

Both – besides it’s far cooler to decline these things than accept them!
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Your new autobiography ‘My name is Daphne Fairfax’ is a fantastic read and moving memoir, but now the cat's out of the bag does this mean you’ll need a new pseudonym to shake off  Streatham tax office? 

I am going to live in the Cayman Islands.
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You played ‘Clarrie’ in the Dr Who audio ‘The Kingmaker’ but who’s your favourite Doctor?

The first - Patrick wosisname. I recall seeing the first ever episode as a kid and was
terrified!
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You’ve described yourself as the ‘Night Mayor of Balham - I don’t do days’ is this in anyway connected to the bet you lost to Tony Hawks and the subsequent forfeit of having to sing the Moldovan National Anthem naked in Balham High Street and subsequent fear of being recognised in daylight?

I was mayor long before my nude scene in Balham, but I am trying to persuade all my citizens to strip off for summer!
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Would you go and see yourself live and how much would you pay?

Certainly not - I know all the material - or most of it, anyway!
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