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Steve Furst
Steve Furst
Steve Furst
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Steven Jonathan Furst (born 3 September 1967) is a British comedian, actor and writer.[1] He has appeared regularly on television, including the BBC comedy series Little Britain, does voice-over work, and appeared in the Orange mobile phone cinema adverts in the UK (with Brennan Brown), playing a spoof studio executive. Furst also performs as cabaret character Lenny Beige.

Key Information

Comedy career

[edit]

Furst first worked in comedy writing for Chris Evans's Power Up show on BSB's Power Station music channel in 1990. He then set up Britain's first comedy magazine, The Heckler. In 1992, he worked as a stand-up comedian and promoter, founding comedy nights such as The Double Six Club, The Youth Club, and The Regency Rooms.

Lenny Beige

[edit]

Furst also works under the name Lenny Beige,[2] promoted comedy nights (started on the Regency Rooms) and fought the 1997 general election in Putney under that name, and had 2 series on BBC Choice with guests including Terry Wogan, Davina McCall, Claudia Winkleman, Chas & Dave, Tony Hadley and many more.

Furst (right) with Robbie Williams in 2000

Furst often performed (as Lenny Beige) at the Regency Rooms in London's West End which ran for a total of 10 seasons. Guy Chambers was Lenny's musical director when he also became co-writer and producer of Robbie Williams who himself made many appearances at the club. Beige also regularly appeared at Club Montepulciano; the band Hooverphonic sing about this in their song of the same name ("Lenny Beige is performing spinning wheel/Club Montepulciano is what you need"). After the Regency Rooms was closed in 2000, Lenny was retired. In 2006 he returned to host a series of cabaret nights at The Pigalle Club in Picadilly. His tribute show to Anthony Newley was premiered at The Pigalle Club and received 5 star reviews.

In 2012, Lenny was asked to host a residency at Mayfair's Playboy Casino, which he did for over 12 months. Lenny Beige Sings Neil Diamond is Lenny's newest show, which first premiered at Cafe Zédel. He has now added another tribute show, Beige Waits For All a tribute to the legendary American singer songwriter Tom Waits.

Other work

[edit]

Since 2012, Furst has also held a role on the judging panel for the Norwich Film Festival.[3] He has hosted a regular show on Soho Radio as himself, Lenny Beige and also The Mayor of Kentish Town. Steve has also worked alongside composer Guy Chambers writing lyrics for artists, most recently the Irish singer/songwrter Nathan Carter. With Guy he also co-wrote songs for the movies A Christmas Number One and also for The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland. He continues to write his own songs which he often performs live. In late 2025, it was announced that he would launch the Circle and Star Theatre in the space previously occupied by Pentameters Theatre at The Horseshoe pub in Hampstead.[4]

Appearances

[edit]

Furst made his professional television debut as a stand up in LWT's After Midnight. He has appeared on The Johnny Vaughan Tonight show on BBC Choice and BBC One, He was a regular weekly contributor on The Late Edition with Marcus Brigstocke and as the host on the British Hit Singles & Albums No.1 Music Quiz DVD. He has also appeared as Manitol in 3 series of CBBC sitcom called The Legend of Dick and Dom in which he starred alongside Dominic Wood, Richard McCourt and Chloe Bale. He is in 'Combat Kids', another CBBC show and The Dumping Ground. In 2018 he starred in the new CITV show Spy Kids as the villain Goldfist.

Furst has also appeared in the Catterick series with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer as an assistant Police Officer Sergeant Mingemungington. He has appeared in nearly 30 commercials in the cinema for Orange as the sidekick of the main male character played by Brennan Brown. He has also appeared in numerous other programmes; Bodies, Born and Bred, all three series of Little Britain, The Bill, Dick and Dom's Funny Business, Father Brown, Doc Martin, Friday Night Dinner and Tracey Breaks the News. He appears as DI Gary Cunningham in ITV's three part drama Manhunt.

He appeared occasionally as a contributor to The Wright Stuff on Five. In 2018 he took a starring role as Popsy Wilson Jr in the 20th Century Fox movie Walk Like A Panther.

Theatre

[edit]

In 2003, Furst appeared as Juror No.1 in 12 Angry Men at the Assembly Rooms at the Edinburgh Fringe.[citation needed]

In 2009/10, Furst starred alongside Michael Brandon in Oliver Cotton's play Wet Weather Cover at the King's Head Theatre before transferring to London's West End. He played Hymie in the 2011 production of Chicken Soup With Barley by Arnold Wesker at the Royal Court Theatre, directed by artistic director Dominic Cook. On 27 March 2012, it was announced Furst would play the role of Mr Wormwood in Matilda the Musical, which had been playing the Cambridge Theatre in London's West End since October 2011.[5] He replaced Paul Kaye beginning performances 17 April 2012.[citation needed]

Furst was scheduled to be part of the world premiere cast of Made in Dagenham from October 2014, at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End.[6]

In 2019, he starred in the titular role of Mr Gum, in Mr Gum & The Dancing Bear at the National Theatre.

In the autumn of 2022, he appeared at the Royal Court Theatre in the production of Jews In Their Own Words. In 2023, he starred as Fagin in a Leeds Playhouse production of Oliver![7] In August 2024, he played Shylock in a West End concert of Something Rotten! at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.[8] Over Christmas 2024, he performed as Alfred P Doolittle in My Fair Lady at the Curve Theatre, Leicester.[9]

Personal life

[edit]

On 14 October 2019, Furst was conferred an Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester.[10]

Publications

[edit]
  • Radio Comedy 1938–68: A Guide to 30 Years of Wonderful Wireless, Virgin Books, 1996

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Steve Furst

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from Grokipedia
Steve Furst (born 3 September 1967) is a Northern Irish-born British , , , , and artist. He began his career writing for Chris Evans on BSB's music channel in 1990 before transitioning to in the early 1990s, where he finished as runner-up in the competition in 1993. Furst gained prominence through his creation of the lounge cabaret performer character Lenny Beige, which led to a special and two series, alongside appearances in nearly 30 "" advertisements for Orange mobile network. His television work includes roles in sketch shows such as Little Britain and children's series like The Legend of Dick and Dom, as well as a recurring part as Dr. Fernel in the historical drama . Furst has also contributed , notably as Principal Brown in the animated series .

Early life

Upbringing and initial influences

Steven Jonathan Furst was born on 3 September 1967. He grew up in , where his family provided an early immersion in the . His father, János Furst, a Hungarian Jew born in , served as a conductor and violinist with the following his emigration after the 1956 Soviet of ; his mother was a singer. This musical household fostered a performative environment, with Furst later describing performance as inherent to his upbringing. Details on Furst's pre-adolescent years, including specific comedic influences or school-based activities, remain limited in . British comedy traditions of the era, such as those popularized by radio and television broadcasts accessible in his home, may have contributed to his developing interest in humor, though he has not detailed direct childhood exposures in available accounts. His self-described path reflects an organic draw to entertainment rooted in familial artistry rather than formal early training.

Comedy career

Stand-up beginnings and early breakthroughs

Furst entered professional in 1992, after initial experience in comedy writing for Chris Evans's Power Up show on British Satellite Broadcasting's music channel in 1990 and subsequent redundancy that prompted him to launch The Heckler, Britain's first dedicated comedy magazine, which ran for 12 issues. As a performer, he navigated the emerging club circuit, where acts typically refined material through repeated live testing against varied audience responses, a process Furst undertook while simultaneously promoting events to build visibility. To support his entry into paid gigs, Furst founded and hosted comedy nights such as The Double Six Club, The Youth Club, and The Regency Rooms, which provided platforms for emerging comedians including himself and helped establish a network amid the post-alternative comedy boom. These ventures reflected pragmatic adaptation to limited opportunities, prioritizing consistent bookings over high-profile venues initially. A key early breakthrough occurred in 1993 when Furst placed as runner-up in the So You Think You're Funny? competition at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a contest for new stand-up acts that offered exposure to industry scouts and audiences numbering in the thousands annually. This recognition, alongside Michael Smiley as another finalist, marked validation of his impression-heavy style developed via club trial-and-error, though broader success in characters followed later.

Lenny Beige character development and success

Lenny Beige emerged as Steve Furst's satirical creation in the late , embodying a flamboyant, spangly-clad lounge singer channeling excess and showbusiness delusion. Furst wrote and starred in the character for The Lenny Beige Television Show, a sketch pilot aired in 1999 that showcased Beige's over-the-top performances and impressions mocking faded entertainers and variety acts. The pilot's reception paved the way for expanded television exposure, with Furst reprising Lenny Beige in two series of The Lenny Beige Variety Pack on , produced in the early and featuring episodic sketches, musical numbers, and guest spots that amplified the persona's critique of entertainment industry pretensions through hyperbolic self-importance and nostalgic . Beyond broadcasting, Lenny Beige evolved into a live staple, with Furst touring the character in West End and regional venues, performing signature routines like lounge renditions of pop standards laced with ironic bravado; these shows have sustained the persona for nearly three decades, positioning Beige as a recurring draw in London's circuit.

Subsequent characters and comedic projects

In 2014, Furst developed the Mayor of Kentish Town, a fast-talking, no-nonsense urban politician satirizing local governance and street-level authority. This persona, characterized by blunt commentary on everyday municipal absurdities, rapidly integrated into live comedy club sets and short films produced for Comedy Central's online platform, later hosted on Furst's YouTube channel. By 2017, the character featured prominently in theatrical runs, such as at the Tristan Bates Theatre, alongside other personas in multi-character formats. Furst expanded his repertoire through the one-man show In Character, debuting in October 2016 at the Museum of Comedy with five distinct personas, including the Mayor, ex-stuntman Dave Pike—depicted as a hazard-prone former Hollywood performer offering dubious safety advice—and Queenie, an effete yet unexpectedly violent ex-criminal. The production toured festivals and venues, such as Underbelly in 2018 and Hollywood Fringe, evolving to incorporate newer quintets like a Northern Soul DJ, former Royal butler, and modern druid by 2022, emphasizing quick character switches and satirical archetypes to maintain audience engagement. These performances, often 60-90 minutes, showcased Furst's versatility in sustaining comedic relevance via persona-driven narratives rather than standalone routines. Live bookings for these characters persisted into the , with club appearances at venues like Comedy Club and JK Comedy Club, including scheduled sets in through 2025, demonstrating ongoing adaptation in competitive comedy circuits through verifiable event listings. A 2018 filmed excerpt of In Character highlighted five personas in sequence, underscoring the format's structure for rapid, self-contained sketches. This diversification post- era relied on Furst's established live presence, with characters like the Mayor appearing in radio hosting on Soho Radio and promotional events, such as a 2024 launch at Rough Trade East.

Acting and media work

Television roles

Furst's early television appearances included a semi-regular role as Mr. James in the BBC medical drama , spanning multiple episodes from the series' inception in 1999. He also starred in the 1999 sketch comedy pilot The Lenny Beige Television Show, portraying the titular character, a flamboyant 1960s-style entertainer, in a format derived from his live stand-up persona. In the BBC sketch series Little Britain (2003–2007), Furst made recurring guest appearances across all three series, contributing to various comedic sketches alongside principal cast members David Walliams and Matt Lucas. Subsequent roles encompassed guest spots in ITV's Doc Martin (2004–2022), where he appeared in episodes featuring Martin Clunes as the titular doctor, and BBC's Born and Bred (2002–2004). He further featured in procedural dramas such as The Bill (ITV, multiple episodes in the 2000s) and Bodies (BBC, 2004–2006). Furst portrayed Paul in the 2021 ITV thriller Angela Black, a six-episode co-starring and . From 2022 to 2024, he played Dr. Fernel, the physician to the French , in seven episodes of the historical drama , appearing in select installments of both seasons amid the series' depiction of Catherine de' Medici's life, with in the lead role. In 2024, Furst appeared as a supporting character in the Paramount+ adaptation , based on ' novel, alongside .

Film and other screen appearances

Furst's film roles have primarily been in British comedies, where his background in character-driven humor often informed portrayals of eccentric or authoritative figures, though these appearances remained secondary to his television and stage work. He first appeared on the big screen as the Bank Manager in the 2007 ensemble comedy St Trinian's, a modern take on the classic schoolgirl mischief series, contributing to scenes involving financial intrigue at the anarchic academy. In 2009, Furst played Mo, a henchman in the criminal underworld, in Malice in Wonderland, a stylized reinterpretation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland directed by Simon Fellows and starring Maggie Grace as Alice. The film, released on 30 October 2009, blended fantasy elements with London gangland tropes but received mixed reviews for its execution. That same year, he reprised a similar bureaucratic archetype as Arbuthnott in St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold, aiding the plot's heist elements amid the school's ongoing chaos. Furst portrayed Charles, a resort staff member, in the 2011 sports comedy , which followed a snowboarder's rise and featured in the lead; the film premiered at the on 11 September 2011 before a UK theatrical release. His most substantial film role came in 2018 as Popsy Wilson Jr., a key wrestler character, in Walk Like a Panther, a 20th Century Fox production directed by Dan Cadan about a 1980s mining community forming a wrestling team; released on 7 March 2018, it highlighted Furst's amid a cast including .
YearTitleRoleDirector
2007St Trinian'sBank Manager,
2009Malice in WonderlandMoSimon Fellows
2009St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's GoldArbuthnott,
2011Chalet GirlCharles
2018Walk Like a PantherPopsy Wilson Jr.Dan Cadan

Theatre productions

Furst entered musical theatre with the role of Mr. Wormwood in Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre, performing from April 17, 2012, to September 1, 2013. In autumn 2014, he joined the original West End cast of Made in Dagenham at the as Mr. Tooley, the U.S. Ford executive, contributing to a production that satirized industrial disputes through . In September 2022, Furst appeared in the verbatim play . In Their Own Words at the Royal Court Theatre's Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, portraying multiple characters drawn from interviews about experiences in Britain; the ensemble format emphasized direct testimony over narrative embellishment. Furst portrayed in Oliver! at from late 2023 through January 27, 2024, delivering a noted for avoiding caricatured tropes in favor of nuanced villainy amid the production's large-scale ensemble and youthful performers. From November 23, 2024, to January 4, 2025, he played Alfred P. Doolittle in at Curve , a revival highlighting class tensions through Lerner and Loewe's score in a regional venue setting. Parallel to these dramatic roles, Furst has sustained live cabaret theatre via his recurring character Lenny Beige, with performances including a one-night benefit show at the Royal Court Theatre on October 19, 2022, in aid of Jewish Care, and joint appearances such as Mel and Lenny's Christmas Ding-Dong at Crazy Coqs in Zedel in December 2019, blending musical parody and audience interaction in intimate spaces. These outings underscore the immediacy of live character work, often featuring improvised elements tied to Beige's showbiz persona.

Publications and other contributions

Written works

Furst co-authored Radio Comedy, 1938-68: A Guide to 30 Years of Wonderful Wireless with , published by Virgin Books in 1996. The volume chronicles British radio comedy programs from the late through the , detailing key broadcasts, performers, and historical context based on archival research. In , Furst released 100 Worst Britons, a satirical published by Beautiful Books, compiling his selections of 100 Britons deemed the year's most egregious figures across , , and public , presented with humorous commentary critiquing and institutional failures. The book positioned itself as an annual survey, though no subsequent editions were produced. Furst wrote the scripts for his recurring character Lenny Beige, including the 2001 pilot The Lenny Beige Telly Show and the two series Lenny Beige's Variety Pack aired in 2004 and 2005, which featured lounge singer sketches blending parody and musical performance. These writings originated from his earlier stand-up development of the persona in the late .

Public appearances and advocacy

Furst participated in efforts to prevent the closure of London's , a historic facing eviction in early 2011. His involvement helped raise public awareness and contributed to a successful campaign that included petitions, fundraisers, and negotiations with landlords, ultimately securing the club's continued operation. In 1997, Furst ran as the satirical candidate Lenny Beige for the "Happiness Stan's Freedom to Party" party in the constituency during the UK general election, securing 101 votes and finishing sixth. This stunt highlighted comedic advocacy for party freedoms amid competition from figures like and . On March 13, 2024, Furst hosted a public launch event at the Electric Palace Cinema in for the crowdfunder of his documentary A in , which examines men's through the lens of a community garden and associated led by Glenn Veness. The event aimed to fund production and promote awareness of male emotional well-being challenges.

Personal life

Family and private background

Furst was raised in as the son of Janos Furst, a Hungarian-Jewish conductor and violinist from , and a mother who served as a music . He has two children from a previous marriage. Furst married Rebecca Evans; the couple resided in Lincolnshire before relocating back to London in recent years.

Political and social engagements

In the 1997 United Kingdom general election, Furst, performing in character as comedian Lenny Beige, stood as a candidate for Putney under the banner of Happiness Stan's Freedom to Party, a satirical outfit inspired by the libertarian-leaning figure from the BBC sketch show The Fast Show. The party platform emphasized opposition to excessive government regulation, framing policies like mandatory helmets for pedestrians and bans on spontaneous street parties as absurd encroachments on personal liberty, rather than proposing a coherent ideological agenda. Furst received 101 votes, or 0.2% of the total, underscoring the candidacy's role as performance art critiquing political pomposity over genuine electoral ambition. Furst has occasionally engaged in social advocacy focused on preserving cultural institutions against bureaucratic overreach. In , he contributed to efforts to save the , a historic music venue facing closure due to property development pressures and licensing hurdles, highlighting practical resistance to urban regulatory erosion rather than broader ideological campaigns. This involvement aligned with a pattern of targeted, non-partisan interventions prioritizing empirical preservation of live music spaces over performative . Furst maintains no documented affiliations with major or sustained ideological advocacy, reflecting a consistent empirical detachment from mainstream partisan debates in favor of occasional satirical or localized critiques.

References

  1. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/109157-steve-furst?language=en-US
  2. https://thetopsecretcomedyclub.co.uk/comedians/steve-furst/
  3. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0992476/bio/
  4. https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/steve_furst/
  5. https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Steve-Furst/
  6. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0992476/
  7. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/steve_furst
  8. https://londonist.com/2011/11/comedian-interview-steve-furst
  9. https://www.thejc.com/life/its-a-fine-life-playing-fagin-g7b8akjh
  10. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/feb/06/guardianobituaries.classicalmusic
  11. https://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/s/634/steve_furst/review
  12. https://thecomedyclub.co.uk/comedians/steve-furst
  13. https://soyouthinkyourefunny.co.uk/past-winners/sytyf-alumni/
  14. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_lenny_beige_television_show/
  15. https://www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk/full-company-announced-for-leeds-playhouse-2023-festive-spectacular-oliver/
  16. https://www.winchester.ac.uk/media/Content-Assets/Press-Centre/Centre-News/Honoraries_Graduation_2019.pdf
  17. https://www.stevefurst.com/lenny-beige
  18. https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/lenny-beige
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE8YNnbY8rE
  20. https://www.kentishtowner.co.uk/2017/04/04/mayor-kentish-town-tristan-bates/
  21. https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/steve-fursts-new-show-in-character-to-open-at-the-museum-of-comedy_41625/
  22. https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Steve-Furst-Brings-One-Man-Show-IN-CHARACTER-to-Underbelly-Festival-20180321
  23. https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Steve-Furst-to-Present-IN-CHARACTER-Comic-Monologue-Show-20220218
  24. https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7393
  25. http://www.lipstickcabaret.co.uk/steve-furst
  26. https://jkcomedyclub.co.uk/comedian/steve-furst/
  27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmQ4iaoVAgA
  28. https://www.instagram.com/p/C-GO09VISdg/
  29. https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10748-st-trinian-s/cast
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374853/
  31. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/109157-steve-furst
  32. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6962204/
  33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjAm9msjvIs
  34. https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/flaherty-and-furst-join-matilda-138443/
  35. https://matildathemusical.tumblr.com/pastwestendcast
  36. https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/steve-furst-joins-made-in-dagenham-231202/
  37. https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/steve-furst/
  38. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/sep/28/jews-in-their-own-words-review-antisemitism-jonathan-freedland
  39. https://www.thereviewshub.com/jews-in-their-own-words-the-royal-court-london/
  40. https://alwaystimefortheatre.com/2023/12/02/review-oliver-at-leeds-playhouse/
  41. https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/my-fair-lady/
  42. https://www.curveonline.co.uk/news/curve-announces-full-cast-for-new-production-of-lerner-and-loewes-my-fair-lady/
  43. https://www.facebook.com/groups/lennybeige/
  44. https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Steve-Hurst-Appears-As-Lenny-Beige-With-Melinda-Hughes-In-MEL-AND-LENNYS-CHRISTMAS-DING-DONG-At-Crazy-Coqs-Live-At-Zedels-20191127
  45. https://www.abebooks.com/9780863699603/Radio-comedy-1938-68-guide-years-086369960X/plp
  46. https://books.google.com/books/about/100_Worst_Britons.html?id=mlfXXwAACAAJ
  47. https://books.google.com/books?id=ON4PMAEACAAJ
  48. https://100fortycharacters.wordpress.com/attend-twight-night/
  49. https://londonist.com/2011/02/100-club-saved-from-closure
  50. https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/actor-to-direct-mental-health-documentary-inspired-by-magical-hastings-garden-4560582
  51. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/fund-our-documentary-on-mens-mental-health
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