Interview: Arthur Smith and Phil Nice, OOF!

Arthur Smith and Phil Nice

Arthur Smith: “You start off as an interesting newcomer, then a regular, then you become a veteran. Now, I’m a legend.” (The Times)

Legendary comedians Arthur Smith and Phil Nice are bringing their 40th anniversary, sell-out Edinburgh show, ‘OOF!’, to Suffolk in 2026.

Arthur is a multi-award winning comedian, writer and broadcaster who has performed comedy all over the world and is well-known for his appearances on TV, radio and the stage. Recognised as one of the key figures in the alternative comedy scene of the 1980s, he is known for his dry wit, gravelly voice and observational style.

Phil was in the comedy double act ‘Fiasco Job Job’ with Arthur Smith in the 1980s. Since then, he has had acting roles in many popular TV shows, including The Inbetweeners, Broadchurch, Citizen Khan, Mr Bean and Doctor Who.

Now, more than 40 years after the duo first got together, they are reunited in ‘OOF!’ - a play described as a hilarious sit-down drama about age, showbiz and the cartography of friendship. Named for the sound that people of a certain age make when they get up out of a chair, the show sees two old men sat on a park bench, reflecting on religion, politics, life and happy slapping. Then it transpires there is more to their relationship than we realise.

Our Editor, Martine Silkstone, was delighted to chat to the two stars ahead of their first Suffolk performance, which will take place at The Quay Theatre in Sudbury in April…

INTERVIEW:

Thank you both for talking to Suffolk on Stage - it’s lovely to meet you.

As you obviously know each other really well, I’d like to begin with how you see each other.

So, Phil, can you describe Arthur for me?

Phil: Well, he's probably the most handsome man I've ever met. And I would say that I'm very lucky to have had him as a friend for over 50 years.

And Arthur, how would you describe Phil?

Arthur: I've never met Phil in my life.

No, actually, we met at university and there was a sort of instant connection between us. He's a witty man. He's quick on his feet.

But he's no good at cricket.

Phil: I have to agree with that. I am not very good at cricket at all. But I am quite good at table tennis.

Arthur: I was a cross-country runner and I held the school under-13 record for 80 yards, as I'm sure you must know.

So, you originally got together in the 70s. What was it like in those early days and what was your first show together?

Phil: Well, the first shows we did - apart from our university shows - were in Edinburgh, I suppose, and all had ‘a-long-a’ in the title. We did ‘Swing-a-Long-a-Dante’, we did ‘Ham-a-Long-a-Yorick’, we did ‘Rump-a-Long-a-Stiltskin’.

Arthur: And then the last one was ‘Clap-a-Long-a-Curtain-Call’.

Phil: We were scraping the barrel by the end in terms of titles.

Arthur: That's when there were five of us, and then around 1982, me and Phil became a double act called ‘Fiasco Job-Job’.

Phil: Yes, that's right. So we were in that second wave of comedy performers after people like Rik Mayall and Alexei Sayle.

Arthur: Alternative comedy, as it was known then.

Then you had quite a break. Before this touring production of ‘OOF!’, when did you last work together?

Phil: Well, yeah, we did have quite a long break, really.

I appeared in a few of Arthur's shows in Edinburgh. I remember playing his head of security for his art show called ‘ArcherArt’, where the whole building was turned into an art gallery, effectively.

Arthur: Not just my artwork - I had various people contribute. Stuart Lee did one, and Janey Godley, and lots of different people.

You never really hear laughter in an art gallery, do you? And I thought, well, it would be quite interesting to try and do proper paintings and sculptures and things, but ones that were a bit funny as well.

I think I won an award for that in the end.

Phil: Yeah, you certainly did. I went and picked it up for you as the security man.

Arthur: We had a TV series as well, briefly, called ‘Arthur and Phil Go Off’.

Phil: They were comedy documentaries. Our look at various topics. We did a ‘Day Trip to Bologne’. Then ‘Arthur and Phil Go Up the M1’ and ‘Arthur and Phil Go to Loch Ness’.

Arthur: And ‘Arthur and Phil Go to Marbella’.

Phil: The last time we did an actual show together was probably when you were doing that chat show.

Arthur: Oh, yeah. I did a chat show called ‘Arthur Smith's Pissed Up Chat Show’. It was a bit unpredictable, as you can imagine, and Phil played the sensible man.

Phil: Following on from my head of security, I was the man from Lothian Council, basically, there to check up on the health and safety.

Arthur: For that one, I had a different person on and did different subjects every time. And they had to be pissed, that was the idea. So I gave them loads and loads of drink beforehand.

I was interested in the idea of ‘in vino veritas’ [wine as a truth serum], but unfortunately, it was more ‘in vino incomprehensible’.

It was a great idea, you know, but massively flawed.

So moving on to ‘OOF!’, tell us a bit about the show.

Arthur: It's two old blokes who meet on a bench in a park, and slowly come to realise that they know each other.

And then there's a big meltdown where at the end of act two - a catastrophe that plunges us into act three.

The show celebrates your 40th anniversary of originally working together. So how did it come about?

Phil: We took different paths in our careers and that meant that we worked less together and probably saw each other less as well.

And then more recently we've come back together and we're finding a new spirit of adventure, you know. We’re finding things we can continue with. We're even working on a new show, possibly…

What was the writing process like for ‘OOF!’?

Arthur: I think I wrote the original draft.

Phil: Yes, I decided to swan off on holiday and left you with the difficult bit.

Arthur: Then Phil came in and we kind of changed it, and Phil added bits and then we started crying.

Phil: It was to-ing and fro-ing all the time. Trying stuff out.

Arthur: And we did a few shows where some bits worked and some bits didn't.

Phil: Yeah and we were quite ruthless about it, I think, and took things out that didn't work.

Arthur: And then we went to Edinburgh. It went really well, actually, and we got a lot of really good reviews and decent audiences.

And neither of us died which was good.

Phil: So all in all, it was a success.

Arthur: We also did a little run at the Soho Theatre that went well and we've done a few others since. Greatest of all, we're going to Suffolk.

Phil: Yeah, that's the pinnacle.

Phil: And we've actually been there before. We went there in our first incarnation with the National Review Company.

Arthur: And I wrote a play, which I did with Caroline Quentin, and The Quay Theatre in Sudbury was the first ever place we did it.

I'm looking forward to going there again.

How do you find the writing process? Is it easy?

Phil: There's quite a lot of procrastination, I think.

Arthur: You sit down with your pen and a bit of paper and then about two hours later you haven't written anything and you go for a walk.

So, you've performed it a few times already - what was it like to be on stage together again?

Phil: Well, a lot of people have said to us that it’s clear we have a special rapport; a special way of performing together, which is unusual.

How would you describe the show? What can audiences expect?

Phil: I think they will laugh and cry. They will be able to see two old blokes working well together. And they'll see a play that has poignancy as well as humour.

Do you ad-lib or is it completely scripted?

Arthur: There are bits of ad-libbing, especially when I forget a line, which sometimes happens.

Phil: Yeah, and we will happily laugh at each other as well. If one of us gets wrong-footed, for example - that's always quite amusing.

How has your relationship evolved over the years?

Arthur: It takes longer to get to Phil's house now. And there's a lot less groupies than there used to be.

Phil: Yeah, they've dropped off massively, I have to say.

But I think we've developed a kind of comfortable rapport. We've redeveloped it, and I think that's the joy of it, really.

Career highlights?

Arthur: I did outdoor shows in Edinburgh once. Some of the late shows started at 2am, and I got arrested at the end of one of them, so that was quite a highlight. I did another one that was during the day, where I recited this rather beautiful poem, and I behind me, on Arthur’s Seat, I had six ballet dancers dancing. I always remember being very proud of that moment.

Phil: And you’re right to be proud.

We once did perform together in front of a bunch of cows, didn't we? We were taking part in the Nether Wallop International Festival, which was sort of comedy festival - bringing Edinburgh to a village in the middle of England.

There was Rick Mayall, Peter Cook, Gore Vidal, Mel Smith, and other big names. And our first bit of stand-up was on the back of a farm trailer to some cows. There was nobody else there.

Arthur: It was quite an amazing event. Jenny Agutter was there, I seem to recall. The vicar did a magic act and she was his glamorous assistant.

Phil: Yeah. We've had some good times together, I suppose.

Are there things that you wish you'd done over the years?

Arthur: I remember we turned down Saturday Night Live, didn't we?

Phil: Yes, that was a bit foolish on our part, wasn’t it?

Also, I've never been asked to be Pope.

Arthur: I know, and you'd look really good in the outfit.

Have you got anything else lined up for the future?

Phil: We're kind of vaguely thinking ahead to something else we might do, and we've been brainstorming a few ideas. But it's not in any way written.

Arthur: One idea is that I've become a hit man but I'm not very good at it.

Phil: Or we might revert to the park bench idea again, but the musings will be different. And there might be an introduction of a third person. Somebody that maybe can create a little bit of a wedge between us.

Watch this space…

BONUS QUICKFIRE 10

As a performer, radio, screen or stage?

Phil: Oh God, it's really hard to say. I mean, I've always enjoyed doing the radio but the stage is where you get the immediate response.

Arthur: Yeah, stage.

And as an audience member, radio, screen or stage?

Phil: I like watching stuff on the telly and I also like watching plays. So, I don't know. Equal billing for me.

Arthur: Stage.

Small, intimate venues or a big stage with a big audience?

Arthur: Small, intimate.

Phil: Yeah, for me too.

One-liners, surrealism or storytelling comedy?

Arthur: I like a mixture of all three, really.

Phil: Yeah, me too. I'm probably more for the surrealism kind of side of things, but I am a mixture of all three.

Doctor Who or Mr Bean?

Arthur: Mr Bean.

Phil: Yeah, Mr Bean for me. Although I've actually been in both of them.

The Young Ones or Allo Allo?

Phil: Oh, I don't think there's any question about that. The Young Ones.

Edinburgh Fringe or Radio 4?

Arthur: The Fringe – that’s the heart of it all.

Phil: Yeah.

Favourite current stand-up performers?

Arthur: I like Joe Lycett, I think he's quite good.

Phil: I quite like Joe Wilkinson.

Social media or old media?

Arthur: I try not to be addicted to social media, so I think I'll say old media. I do like a proper newspaper sometimes.

Phil: Yes, old media. Like you Arthur, I do a bit too much social media.

Favourite quote, saying or mantra?

Arthur: I like my quote, which we do in ‘OOF!’:

“Infinite in his dreams, but limited by his nature, man is a fallen angel who remembers heaven.”

That is a very good quote.

Our thanks to two of the loveliest men we have ever interviewed.

OOF! is at The Quay Theatre, Sudbury on 29 April 2026.

FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE

Also at Thorington Outdoor Theatre on 24 July 2026.

FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE