New play to keep comic's memory alive

Dave Allen is to be remembered in a new one-man play aimed at keeping his memory alive.

Star and co-writer Kieran Cunningham says that the Irish comedian – who died six years ago next week – is likely to soon be forgotten as his stand-up is rarely shown on TV and little of his work is available on DVD.

The new play, which has the slightly cumbersome title At Large: Dave Allen – A Journey Through Life, depicts the comic in limbo, waiting to see if he could ascend to heaven despite his frequent attacks on the Catholic church.

A similar plot device has been used in previous plays about dead comedians, including the stage hit Morecambe, and fringe production Goodbye: The Afterlife Of Cook And Moore.

Cunningham said of the man he is about to portray on stage: ‘I suppose he was the first alternative Irish comedian to break through into the English market. The research for the play has been fascinating and I have talked to his relatives to get a real insight into his life.’

The actor also said many people have told him he looks like a young Dave Allen, ‘so I’ve been leading up to it for a while’.

The play opens in the studio of Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre on March 16, as part of the city’s Irish festival – with plans for a nationwide tour in the future.

Published: 5 Mar 2011