Arts > Comedy

Arthur Smith

OPEN

17/02/17

 

UEA graduate and all round funny guy Arthur Smith is visiting Norwich to give us a laugh this month. A comedian, writer and raconteur since the 80’s, he’s been involved in everything from writing a song called I’ve Seen Your Arse and standing naked on Balham High Road singing the Moldovan National Anthem to being in the new version of Are You Being Served. I had a chat with him about stage-fright and the best heckle he’s ever received.

 

You studied at UEA. What was Norwich like back in the 70’s when UEA was still pretty new?

Norwich looked much the same as now though the cathedral hadn’t been built then.

 

You were chairman of the poetry society, wrote for Concrete, the newspaper, and contributed sketches for the student review. What did you do after UEA, when you’d had a taste of what might be possible in the world?

I was a road sweeper, a postman, a teacher and the singer in a band that never made it

 

When did you first realise you were good at making people laugh?

When I was nine I played Captain Hook in a school play and my hook-handed attempt to be terrifying made everyone laugh. I observed how the sound of shared laughter united people in a loud, visceral moment. I have sought it out ever since.

 

There was a huge alternative comedy scene in the 80’s, particularly in London. Why do you think that was the case?

It was a time when there was a big division between Thatcherites and the rest. Comedy then seemed out of touch and right wing, riddled with casual racism and sexism, so alternative comedy was like the punk of laughter. There was a lot of ludicrous experimentation too.

 

Your real first name is Brian. How come you go by Arthur, one of your middle names?

Joining the actors union Equity Union I learned you can’t have two members with the same name and there already was a Brian Smith. Arthur is my middle name and I had written columns in the school magazine called The Arfur Corner.

 

Have you ever suffered from stage-fright or nerves along the way?

Yes, at early gigs and on some TV shows, but these days I have learnt there are worse tragedies than having a bad gig.

 

You’ve done so much during your career thus far. Is it possible for you to pick your favourite project of all time?

Hmmm…. I have done a couple of outdoor shows that were unlike anything else – I had an audience at the foot of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh and then suddenly noticed the six ballet dancers who I had arranged to start dancing at the top.

 

You’ve written several books as well – is it harder to write funny or be funny would you say?

Writing is hard and lonely but if you are an extravert like me ‘being’ funny is like a party.

 

What’s the best thing about your job?

I don’t have to get up early.

 

You’re a regular at the Edinburgh Festival – do you still enjoy it as much as always?

Some years are better than others, but there is always a thrill to be at the biggest arts festival In the world in the summer in that beautiful city.

 

What can we expect from your show, At Your Service, at Open here in Norwich?

Laughter, poetry, an appearance from Leonard Cohen, topical Trumpery, a debate about Norwich and a queue for the toilets in the interval.

 

How do you spend your days when you’re not performing or working?

Sitting in a hole counting carrots.

 

Who makes you laugh the most?

When a proud man accidentally farts in public.

 

You’re the self appointed Mayor of Balham. What do you love so much about your neighbourhood?

With its broad boulevards and its pulsating night-life, Balham is like a cross between Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

 

What’s the worst or best heckle you’ve ever received?

“Why don’t you go back to London and leave us all alone?”

 

Arthur Smith will be at Open on 30th March. Tickets available from ueatickets.ticketabc.com