Count Arthur Strong to raise laughs at Rhyl Pavilion

Jan 20 2010

COUNT Arthur Strong is a memory man, astrologer, diarist and raconteur.

He’s also an elderly pompous mostly-out-of-work deluded thespian from Yorkshire who appears to suffer from attention deficit disorder and memory loss.

He is apt to use malapropisms in his attempts to sound educated.

Actually he’s comedian Steve Delaney, who created the character as a circus act while a student.

He rolled it out again after encouragement from a ex- drama teacher who was putting together a comedy show. He’s now got five series of the Sony Award nominated shows on Radio 4 under his belt, with another just commissioned.

He’s presently out on tour, landing at Rhyl’s Pavilion Theatre on January 30.

Officially called Count Arthur Strong – The Man Behind The Smile, the banner behind him on stage (due to printing errors that often occur when he orders publicity material) displays The Man Behind the Slime.

It sums up the Count’s style – well meaning but usually hopeless. It’s a character you like or loathe.

Steve has built a cult following, thanks to outings on shows such as Mark Radcliffe’s BBC radio programme. The DJ, who got involved after seeing Steve’s live show in Edinburgh, now co-produces the shows, recorded at comedy clubs around the UK.

Steve, who lived in Llangollen for 18 months while his wife Emma worked for a Welsh trade promotion body, is looking forward to returning to North Wales, though he won’t get time to look up old friends in the area.

Their son Alfie, born in Wrexham, can often be heard providing children’s voices in the radio show.

Steve said: "It was a live show before it got to be on the radio, though obviously we reach more people that way – there’s a million listeners with that slot. This is an extended tour, reaching those places we couldn’t get to first time round, so its about 90 dates.

"The show is Arthur’s personal tribute to himself, by himself. With his ego and delusions of grandeur it comes naturally to him, he thinks people will want to see it.

"It’s a look back at his 50 years in showbiz, with archive footage from the BBC and other surprises."

The footage was put together for a TV project that is slowly moving ahead, but which Steve wanted to use more quickly.

Count Arthur Strong, Rhyl Pavilion Theatre, Saturday January 30, 8pm. Tickets £15 from 01745 33 00 00 or rhylpavilion.co.uk