Perhaps there is a generation gap that can’t be bridged or perhaps it’s just me, but the character created by Steve Delaney does not prompt more than a mild chuckle. An ageing actor-cum-talk and quiz show host, Count Arthur Strong suffers from delusions of grandeur as well as a host of other comedy clichés.
His trademarks are a mixture of forgetfulness, malapropism and mispronunciation, all of which begin to wear thin fairly quickly. A poor man’s Captain Mainwaring, he presents a showcase of his life aided by video projections of his supposed triumphs, all of which obviously turn out to be embarrassingly lamentable failures.
The problem, however, is that rather than taking the audience on a guided tour through these occasionally comic pieces, the whole performance consists of a prolonged ramble with very little focus. Relying entirely on sympathy for the self-promoting David Brent-esque underdog, Strong attempts to convince the audience of his former glory, name-dropping Nicholas Parsons and Barry Cryer, but unfortunately does not bring them out on stage.
In fact, the rather large stage is often left entirely empty and lifeless while mundane conversations are carried out by microphone in the wings between Strong and his ‘stage manager,’ a man with whom he clearly has a trying relationship. Considering the stage and radio shows that Delaney has generated with his character, this is certainly comedy that will appeal to some, but despite the odd set-up joke, The Man Behind The Smile lacks endurance.
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