Arthur Smith

OVER the past 45 years Arthur Smith has been the uncrowned king of the comedy circuits.

He has been a legend of comedy clubs such as Jongleurs, was a regular in the Grumpy Old Men series of TV programmes and can be heard on numerous shows on Radio 4. He is famous for his dry sense of humour and his south London drawl and among fans is known as the Mayor of Balham.

Now, on Tuesday, September 26 at The Poetry Shack, he is returning to his roots.

Arthur started performing poetry as a student at the University of East Anglia, where he ran the Poetry Society.

His poems are short, pithy and bitter. But they still have a core of humour. “Oh what a day that will be, When being black is no longer a crime, And the condom slides on (pop) first time.”

Jack Shamash – who runs the Poetry Shack – explained: “Poetry seems to be having a comeback. Performers such as Henry Normal, Lemn Sissay and Brian Bilston, who have appeared at the Poetry Shack over the past year, are selling out venues.

“People want something a bit more thoughtful than the normal run of gags that you find at comedy venues. A poetry club – such as ours – is one of the few places where you get literary figures such as Michael Rosen and Will Self – mixing with stand-up comics.”

Also on the bill with Arthur Smith will be Simon Miles and Andrew Calcutt, who will be telling the story of north-south migration through verse and Carol Muskoron, who will be reading humorous extracts from her work. There will also be open-mic slots.

• The Poetry Shack is at the Candid Arts Centre at 3 Torrens Street, EC1V – just behind Angel station. Tickets are £8 and are available online or at the door.