Arthur Smith

Arthur Smith was born on 27 November 1954 in Bermondsey, south London, and studied Comparative Literature at the University of East Anglia before becoming one of the original figures of the British alternative comedy scene in the 1980s. A regular at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe since 1977, he is known for his warm, laconic stage presence and has written several acclaimed stage plays, including An Evening with Gary Lineker (nominated for an Olivier Award). He is a regular on BBC Radio 4, appearing on programmes including Loose Ends and Excess Baggage, and is the self-appointed “Night Mayor of Balham.”

Red Dwarf fans know Arthur from one of the show’s most ingenious single scenes: as the pub manager in the Series III episode “Backwards” (1989), in which Kryten and Rimmer find themselves on a version of Earth where time runs in reverse. His tirade at the crew — delivered entirely backwards on screen — was actually Arthur insulting the cast members tongue-in-cheek; reversed, it is revealed as a message mocking anyone at home who has gone to the trouble of playing the recording backwards to find out what he’s saying.

(From Wikipedia)