Steve Delaney

After some theatre workshop courses, headed by David Morton, the then Leeds Education Authority Inspector for Drama, Delaney had a period at Jacob Kramer College of Art.

[2] The fictional character Count Arthur Strong is an elderly, pompous, mostly out-of-work, deluded thespian from Doncaster, Yorkshire, who appears to suffer from attention deficit disorder and memory loss.

[4] Count Arthur is based on many influences and people from Delaney's youth from the 1960s onward: next-door neighbours, relatives, and eccentric shopkeepers.

But he put the character to one side for several years, during which he worked as an actor, appearing in television in dramas including Juliet Bravo, The Flying Lady, Casualty, The Bill, All Creatures Great and Small and Agatha Christie's Poirot.

In 1997 Delaney resurrected Count Arthur Strong at the suggestion of former tutor and friend Lyall Watson, now an award winning TV writer, for his character comedy routine in clubs.

Delaney then entered an intensive period of production, amounting to more than 350 live shows performed over five further Edinburgh Fringe runs and nine national tours.