Dave Allen at Peace

The first reviewer has not one clue. This was a brilliant tribute to the wonderful man with a top cast

I watched this hour-long potted dramatisation of the life and times of Irish comedian Dave Allen immediately after viewing a real-life TV biography of the man which probably wasn't the best preparation. I was a big fan of Allen's TV series of the early 70's particularly "Dave Allen At Large" using a format of sketches (some of which today might seem un-P.C.) and stand-up or should that be sit-down comedy. Allen regularly sent-up his native country's Catholic religion, often provoking the ire of his countrymen, to the extent where he even received death threats for lampooning the Pope, most (in)famously in a sketch where the holy father disrobes to "The Stripper" by David Rose.

As much a blarney-spinner as a pure joke-teller, Allen's laconic style, drink within reach on the one hand, cigarette in the other, saw him stand out from the older-fashioned variety-show type comics of the same era, like "Morecambe and Wise" or "The Two Ronnies", in short, he had an edge, even once swearing on air to enhance a joke's punchline.

The narrative here concentrates on Allen's relationship with his free-spirited, newspaper editor father who died when he was only 12 and his older brother whose later life revolves around alcohol dependancy. However, given that his mother outlived his father and he himself was married twice, it's strange that the show makes almost no reference to the women in his life.

It also wasn't helped by lightweight lead actor Aiden Gillan's marked dissimilarity to the real Allen as well as his complete inability to get even close to Allen's distinctive accent. There were actually scenes with more than one character present where I couldn't pick him out as Allen.

The jump-starting narrative sidelined into well-known Allen sketches and monologues but none were delivered as crisply as in the original TV show. In the end, it seemed, certainly from the real life bio, that Dave Allen had a full and rewarding life. Unlike other comedic talents he seemed less driven by demons which probably helped constrain this over-respectful yet still misfiring telling of his story.

Oh and I still can't work out the relevance of the show's title unless I'm missing something.

I was a fan of Dave Allen's comedy. In the late 1980s when he did his stand up series for the BBC, he showed the up and coming generation of comics that he could still produce the goods.

Dave Allen was 'alternative' before the phrase was even coined. His target was the Catholic church. Just imagine if he was alive today what he would have made of the revelations of the church's misdeeds in Ireland over the past decades.

Well this drama reflected it on it. Young Dave being whacked by the nuns. It seems Dave had a comfortable lifestyle (bar going to a church school) in Ireland thanks to his father who worked in newspapers but then he died.

Dave with the help of his older brother got into comedy in Butlins. While his older brother became an alcoholic, Dave hit it big on the BBC.

Yet this was a curious drama, it recreated some sketches, you saw a bit of his stand up or should it be sit down comedy.

You see a reflection of his childhood and a tender moment between the adult Dave and his brother as he once again tries to recover from his alcoholism.

I still walked away knowing very little about Dave Allen. Apart from why he picked on Catholicism, we never even find out how he lost his finger!

I'm sure Dave Allen would have approved of the humour of Aiden "Littlefinger" Gillen playing him, but unfortunately Aiden didn't quite manage to portray his mischievous humour, but then who could? The film showed his childhood influences, but seemed to skip quickly through his early days, not mentioning his early days in Australia and his marriages and children. A good attempt, but could have delved deeper!

It's an ambitious project, taking on one of the greatest comedians and storytellers ever. They mostly get away with it - but woe, how short it is! Entire aspects of Dave Allen's career are either left out or glossed over. His relation with his brother, almost worth an entire film in itself, is pencilled out with broad strokes, only to come to life with one final banter that shows what the film could have been. Plenty of good Allen jokes, delivered as well as you can if you're not actually Dave Allen, and great acting efforts all over. But at the end of the day, it's little else than a fond reminder of who he was. Go watch some of the clips of the real Dave Allen on the net instead. Discover the genius.