Dave Allen at large
Dublin-born comedian Dave Allen (real name David Tynan
O'Mahoney) sits on a stool, smoking a cigarette and taking regular
swigs from a glass of whisky while telling risqué jokes about the
pope, the Catholic church and sex (sometimes all three in one
joke). Between the monologues, he appears in a stream of
quick-fire sketches.
His first series, Tonight With Dave Allen for ATV began
in 1967 and ended in 1969 after 31 episodes.
There were 5 episodes
of The Dave Allen Show for BBC1 (1968 - 1969) and he then
worked his way through Dave Allen At Large (five series)
and two series' simply entitled Dave Allen - one for the
BBC (1981 - 1990) and one for ITV (1993 - 1994). He had a
repertory of actors who appeared in sketches with him, such as
Michael Sharvell-Martin, Ronnie Brody and Jacqueline Clarke.
A former journalist in Ireland and Butlins Redcoat at Skegness,
Allen is famous for his nine and a half digits, having lost the
tip of one finger in a car accident.
He first made his name on The Val Doonican Show from
1965 where his quirky jokes came as a blessed relief from the
Celtic crooner's rendering of Paddy McGinty's Goat and Rafferty's
Motor Car. And he didn't have Val's taste in naff knitwear either.
He proved so popular that he was given his own show.
In 1971, he starred in The Dave Allen Show on Australian
TV with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. On one show they discussed
the merits of masturbation, as a result of which the three were
yanked off (if you'll pardon the pun) Australian screens. The ban
was intended to be for life but was soon rescinded
In Britain, he drew complaints about tackling incest and about
his confessional box jokes but maintained that he got more letters
over scratching his head too much or tugging at his ear lobe. But
in 1990 he used the F word on the show, prompting the BBC to issue
a public apology and MPs to ask questions about him in the House
of Commons.
The intensely-private Irishman made occasional guest
appearances on chat shows but grew to prefer the quiet life and
shunned the spotlight whenever he could.
The comedian who used to
consume up to 80 cigarettes a day, quit smoking and cut down on
his drinking after a health scare several years ago. A keen
painter, his first exhibition, "Private Views", was held
in Edinburgh in 2001.
He has a son, Ed Allen, from his marriage to actress Judith
Stott which ended in divorce in 1983. Ed is also a comedian.
"May your God go with you . . ."
TRIVIA NOTE
The 1974 special was a compilation of material from the first
three seasons of Dave Allen At Large linked by Allen with
some new material. Ditto the 1978 special, which was made as a
British entry for the annual Montreux Festival.
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