Dave Allen (comedian)

Dave Allen
Allen in 1968
Born
David Tynan O'Mahony

(1936-07-06)6 July 1936
Dublin, Ireland
Died10 March 2005(2005-03-10) (aged 68)
London, England
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • satirist
  • actor
Years active1959–1998
Spouses
Judith Stott
​
​
(m. 1964; div. 1983)​
Karin Stark
​
(m. 2003)​
Children3

David Tynan O'Mahony (6 July 1936 – 10 March 2005), known professionally as Dave Allen, was an Irish comedian,[1] satirist,[2] and actor. He was best known for his observational comedy. Allen regularly provoked indignation by highlighting political hypocrisy and showing disdain for religious authority. His technique and style have influenced young British comedians.[3]

Initially becoming known in Australia in 1963 and 1964, Allen made regular television appearances in the United Kingdom from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s. The BBC aired his Dave Allen Show from 1971 to 1986,[4] which was also exported to several other European countries.[5] He had a major resurgence during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His television shows were also broadcast in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Yugoslavia, Australia, and New Zealand.

  1. ^ Double, Oliver (1997). "Dave Allen". Stand-Up! on being a comedian. London: Methuen Publishing. p. 140. ISBN 978-0413703200. This was quite an innovation, because up to this point there had been no tradition of observational comedy in British stand-up.
  2. ^ Gaither, Carl C.; Gaither, Alma E. (2012). Gaither's Dictionary of Scientific Quotations (second ed.). New York: Springer. p. 906. ISBN 978-1-4614-1114-7.
  3. ^ Otchet, Amy (May 1999). "Mark Thomas: method and madness of a TV comic". UNESCO Courier. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  4. ^ BBC–released DVD (this copy for Sweden and Finland), back side of its cover states (translated from Swedish; "The best sketches 1971–1986 with Dave Allen" (a combination of him sitting in his famous chair, drinking, smoking and telling jokes – and his sketches)
  5. ^ The mentioned DVD clearly supports at least Sweden and Finland