Product Description

'My name is Arthur Smith, unless there's anybody here from the Streatham tax office. In which case, I'm Daphne Fairfax'. This has been Arthur's opening line at hundreds of stand-up comedy performances. In fact, he is neither Daphne nor Arthur. Friends and family know him as Brian. One of the 'alternative comedians' who shook up light entertainment in the eighties and nineties, Arthur (and Brian) is also a broadcaster, an opening bat for Grumpy Old Men, a West End playwright (his plays include An Evening with Gary Lineker) and a guest on innumerable radio and TV panel shows.In "My Name is Daphne Fairfax", he reflects on the nature of comedy and his days as a scruffy kid on the bombsites of Bermondsey, a wild-haired undergraduate, a roadsweeper, an English teacher, a failed rock star, a boozed-up sexual adventurer and an intensive care patient who has been told never to drink again. Hilarious, scandalous and rude, his memoir incorporates a tender tribute to his parents and a vigorous account of the peculiar business of being alive.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #115815 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

From the Inside Flap
‘My name is Arthur Smith, unless there’s anybody here from the Streatham tax office. In which case, I’m Daphne Fairfax.’ This has been Arthur's opening line at hundreds of stand-up comedy performances. In fact, he is neither Daphne nor Arthur. Friends and family know him as Brian.

One of the ‘alternative comedians’ who shook up light entertainment in the eighties and nineties, Arthur (and Brian) is also a broadcaster, an opening bat for Grumpy Old Men, a West End playwright (his plays include An Evening with Gary Lineker) and a guest on innumerable radio and TV panel shows.

In My Name is Daphne Fairfax he reflects on the nature of comedy and his days as a scruffy kid on the bombsites of Bermondsey, a wild-haired undergraduate, a roadsweeper, an English teacher, a failed rock star, a boozed-up sexual adventurer and an intensive care patient who has been told never to drink again.

Hilarious, scandalous and rude, his memoir incorporates a tender tribute to his parents and a vigorous account of the peculiar business of being alive.

About the Author
Arthur lives in South London with his beautiful partner Beth and is the mayor of Balham (self-proclaimed). He is still seen on the stages around Britain and at the Edinburgh Festival where he has been reviled, revered and arrested. In 2007 he won the 'Spirit of the Fringe' award and if you want to know any more about me you can buy the sodding book.

Customer Reviews

Life affirming and completely brilliant
A lovely book. Arthur is a fantastic writer and his story is both very funny and touchingly poignant. Whether you have previous knowledge of Arthur or not, there is much to be gained from reading this beautifully written memoir which is completely life affirming and a wonderful testament to him. I defy anyone to come away from it and not feel better about pretty much everything.

A delighted brother
I am of course hopelessly biased being Brian/Arthur's older brother, but this marvellous book makes you laugh and makes you cry--and what more could you want? A must read for anybody who knows or admires Brian/Arthur, and a great read for those just wandering by--even the person he imagines at the end of the book scanning it 50 years from now in a second hand bookshop.

Grumpy old man with a heart of Gold ....
This book is an amazing read ! Who would have thought that beneath that gravelly and grumpy exterior was a tender touching and human writer with a sensitivity for detail and observation which makes this account of his first 50-something years a "page-turner" from beginning to end.

It will make you both laugh and cry (mercifully mainly the former), but the affection with which he sketches those around him is both touching and humbling. For an insight into the murky world of "alternative comedy", and mercifully few showbiz anecdotes - this is a must buy read for anyone interested in entertainment.