...and reveals how he hired alternative comedy godfather to cause chaos at his 'theme park'

Secretive graffiti artist Banksy has issued a rare tribute to alternative comedy pioneer Tony Allen, who died earlier this month aged 78.

The reclusive artist called Allen a ‘born troublemaker’ and revealed that he had hired the stand-up to train 100 teenagers to work at his 2015 Dismaland exhibition – and he took it upon himself to create ‘the most surly and incompetent employees in the history of hospitality’.

To maintain his trademark secrecy, Banksy advertised the positions as being extras in a film shoot, then employed Allen to ease them into their actual roles in the grimly parodic theme park.

Banksy broke his traditional silence to honour Allen on BBC Radio 4’s obituary programme, Last Word, yesterday.

In a statement read by Kevin Eldon, Banksy said: ‘I was concerned that when these young people discovered they weren’t on a film set and in fact had to interact with the public all day, they might get a bit freaked out.

‘So I asked Tony to come and host a few basic confidence-building workshops and hone their stewarding skills. It was essentially a pretty dry corporate gig for him.

‘However, Tony Allen was a born troublemaker, he took one look at the name of the event and for three days in the conference hall of a nearby hotel he trained the teenagers in his own image.’

‘He’d been left alone to get on with it, so come opening day we had no idea what was about to hit us. Tony delivered the most surly and incompetent employees in the history of hospitality.

They were truly dismal, incapable or unwilling to even point out the fire exits. They ignored any requests for information, they popped the balloons they were meant to be selling, they threw people’s change on the floor, they even went up to random members of the public and licked their ice-creams.

‘Tony had instilled in them they should never break character, even when speaking to management. Our head of production lost their mind and threatened to quit. The council and police were not impressed and called a meeting.

‘But by the end of the first day it was clear the stewards were a massive hit. They became by far the most talked about part of the show, overshadowing six months of my hard work and the efforts of 50 invited international artists.

‘I had to hand it to him, Tony Allen really knew how to take the Mickey’

Allen, who died on December 1, helped established alternative cabaret in the late 1970s alongside Alexei Sayle  and was a regular early performer at the Comedy Store.

Last Word can be heard on BBC Sounds.

» Alternative comedy pioneer Tony Allen dies at 78

» Tony Allen obituary: ’An anarchic spirit, a revolutionary and a farce of nature'

Published: 30 Dec 2023