Steve Furst : biography
Steven Larry Furst (born 28 November 1967 in South Shields, County Durham) is an English comedian, actor and writer. He stars in the Orange mobile phone cinema adverts in the UK (with Brennan Brown), playing the role of Eliot, a spoof studio executive and has appeared regularly in the BBC comedy television programme Little Britain.
Appearances
Furst appeared on The Johnny Vaughan Tonight show on BBC Choice and BBC One and continues to appear as a regular contributor to The Wright Stuff on Five. He also appears in The Late Edition with Marcus Brigstocke and features as the host on the British Hit Singles & Albums No.1 Music Quiz DVD.
He has also appeared in a 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.
Furst starred in the Catterick series with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. Furst played an assistant Police Officer called 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 appeared in numerous other programmes; Bodies, Born and Bred, all three series of Little Britain and The Bill
He has appeared on Dick and Dom’s Funny Business.
Theatre
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. He replaced Paul Kaye beginning performances 17 April 2012.
Comedy career
He 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 called The Heckler. In 1992, he worked as a stand-up comedian. He worked as a promoter, founding comedy nights such as The Double Six Club, The Youth Club, and The Regency Rooms.
Lenny Beige
Furst also works under the name Lenny Beige, promoted comedy nights (started on the Regency Rooms) and fought the 1997 general election in Putney under that name, and had a programme on BBC Choice.
Furst often performed (as Lenny Beige) 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).
He is now back working live as Lenny Beige performing a residency at London’s Pigalle Club.
Publications
- Radio Comedy 1938-68: A Guide to 30 Years of Wonderful Wireless, Virgin Books, 1996
