Arthur Smith
Also known as Brian Arthur John Smith
Who Arthur Smith is
Arthur Smith is an English comedian and writer from Bermondsey, one of the alternative comedy stand-ups of the 1980s, and he still works a room much the way he did then.
A fixture of the Edinburgh Fringe since 1977 — where his after-hours tours of the Royal Mile became the stuff of festival legend — he comperes the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year final, co-wrote the hit stage play An Evening with Gary Lineker with Chris England, and sang his way through Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen, which reached BBC Radio 4 and returned to the Fringe in 2013 as Volume Too. A familiar radio voice on Loose Ends and Excess Baggage, he narrated A Life of Grime and grumbled professionally as one of the BBC's Grumpy Old Men.
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At a glance
- Born
- 1954
- Based in
- London, England
- From
- Bermondsey
- Stand-up specials
- Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen and Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen
- Podcasts and radio
- Loose Ends and Excess Baggage
- On screen
- Grumpy Old Men and A Life of Grime
- Official site
- arthursmith.co.uk ↗
Is Arthur Smith on tour?
No upcoming dates on record No upcoming dates are on record right now. That doesn't mean they have stopped touring; their own site is the place to look for new dates: arthursmith.co.uk ↗.
Last checked 13 November 2026.
Are they coming to my town?
No dates are on record right now (checked 13 November 2026), so no town is confirmed yet. Follow them and your town to hear when one is booked.
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Specials, shows and podcasts
Stand-up specials
- Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen stage show and BBC Radio 4
- Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen Volume Too) (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 2013
On screen
- Grumpy Old Men BBC Two
- A Life of Grime narrator, BBC One
Podcasts and radio
- Loose Ends BBC Radio 4
- Excess Baggage presenter, BBC Radio 4
Comedians like Arthur Smith
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Donna McPhail also on Loose Ends
- Kevin Pollak also in Grumpy Old Men
- Michael Akadiri also on Loose Ends
- Nathan Caton also on Loose Ends
Career timeline
- 1954Born
- 2013Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (Volume Too) (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 2013) Special
Questions and answers
Where is Arthur Smith performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now; their own site has their dates: arthursmith.co.uk ↗.
What stand-up specials have they released?
Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen and Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen.
What podcasts and radio shows have they been on?
Loose Ends and Excess Baggage.
What TV shows and films are they in?
Grumpy Old Men (BBC Two) and A Life of Grime (narrator, BBC One).
Where are they from?
From Bermondsey.
Where are they based?
London, England, as their record gives it.
What is their official website?
How old are they?
They were born in 1954, so they turn 72 in 2026.
Who are some comedians like them?
Donna McPhail (also on Loose Ends), Kevin Pollak (also in Grumpy Old Men), Michael Akadiri (also on Loose Ends) and Nathan Caton (also on Loose Ends).
Is this you?
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Your short address, for your bio: disciplesofcomedy.com/arthur-smith
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Wikipedia (comedian) ↗ Born 27 November 1954 in Bermondsey; 1980s alternative comedy stand-up; Edinburgh Fringe regular since 1977; comperes the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year…
- arthursmith.co.uk ↗ His own site, answering under his name (as of 13 November 2026)
Updated · the record checked 13 November 2026