Episode 5 Cookery Book: And now on Radio 4… - Count Arthur Strong

The legend that is Count Arthur Strong, one time Variety star, after dinner speaker, raconteur, sole propriertor and owner of Doncasters Academy of Performance, host of his own Radio shoe...show, 'Count Arthur Strong's Radio Shoe', and carnivore. Best friends Wilf Taylor, of Wilf Taylor' Butchers - Quality Meats, for all those special occasions, Gerry from Gerry's Cafe and Jack from The Shoulder of Mutton.

Throughout his long and distinguished showbusiness career, spanning from before penecilin was discovered, Count Arthur has entertained and informed audiences as varied as a local councilor, regailing them with tales of stars like Anita Harris. He numbers the late Jimmy Clitheroe, who he once worked with twice once, as a personal aquantance.

Count Arthur Strong is a fictional comedy character created by English comedian Steve Delaney. He is an elderly pompous out-of-work deluded thespian from the North of England who is challenged by attention deficit and memory loss. Delaney created the Count in the 1980s, when he was a drama student at Central college in London and performed him at the end of term show, but put him to one side for several years.

In 1997 Delaney resurrected him for his stand up comedy routine which gained a cult following in clubs. The character was performed at the Edinburgh Festival for several years to increasing praise and BBC Radio 4 launched a series for him in 2005. A second radio series will be recorded between September 2006 and January 2007 at the Komedia Theatre, Brighton

The character has appeared on Mark Radcliffe's BBC Radio 2 show.

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