Review: Arthur Smith pays tribute to the Edinburgh Fringe in new show, My First 75 Years in Comedy

The comedian, presenter and writer came to the Cambridge Junction on Thursday, October 20, to present his new show, My First 75 Years in Comedy, which celebrates 75 years of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Before the 67-year-old took the stage in front of the J2 audience, images of the star - whose voice is familiar to many, thanks to his regular work as a narrator and voiceover artist - from over the years were shown on a screen behind.

Announcing himself from the side of the stage, Smith joked that it had been a quiet day, news-wise. It was of course the day that Prime Minister Liz Truss had quit and he returned to the subject a couple of times during the show. He also called for a general election and did the usual ‘Tory bashing’ (yawn), though not too much of it, to be fair, singling out Jacob Rees-Mogg for particular abuse.

In what was an enjoyable - and surprisingly moving - hour of comedy, music and more, Smith recalled some of his memories of performing at Edinburgh over the years, as well as embarrassing moments throughout his life, including a slight misunderstanding in the US due to the different use of the words ‘suspenders’ and ‘pants’.

More images - and videos - were shown on the screen, including a picture of his late father when he returned to Colditz Castle having been a prisoner there during the war, and gangster ‘Mad’ Frankie Fraser, with whom he discussed staging a production of Hamlet.

There was poetry, examples of his gift for clever wordplay, songs (it turns out Smith is the ninth best Leonard Cohen impersonator in South London) and, of course, gags. Some of the funniest laugh-out-loud moments were when he paid tribute to the late Barry Cryer by telling some of his jokes.

There were moments of nostalgia, recollections of bets he had with Blur frontman Damon Albarn and the late comic Malcolm Hardee, a highly amusing video on the correct way to fold a towel, and further revelations about his personal life and health. It turns out Arthur Smith now also suffers from a condition called CBA (Can’t be Arsed).

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It seems the Edinburgh Fringe - the mantra of which, apparently, is “get drunk, get laid, get spotted, get paid” - may now have seen the last of Arthur Smith but if this evening was anything to go by, he still has a great deal to offer.

For more on Arthur Smith, visit arthursmith.co.uk.