Famed Irish comedian Dave Allen to be played by Game of Thrones’ Aidan Gillen
Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen, who plays the nefarious Petyr Baelish, is set to star in the BBC Two production Dave Allen at Peace. The biopic will celebrate the life of renowned Irish comedian Dave Allen. The project has been commissioned by Patrick Holland, Controller of BBC Two and Shane Allen, Controller of Comedy and Commissioning.
Dave Allen at Peace will be produced by Darlow Smithson Productions and will be an hour long. The show will focus on the controversial comedian’s forty-year career, from performing alongside his brother as a Butlin’s Redcoat to becoming one of the UK and Ireland’s comedy greats.
Written by Stephen Russell (We’re Doomed: The Dad’s Army Story, Hattie, Peaky Blinders), this film will explore how Dave’s comedy genius was shaped by the tragic loss of his father, his brother… and his finger. How he survived decades of the Roman Catholic Church’s wrath, death threats from the IRA and a ban by Irish and Australian TV, only to have his television career end in controversy when he used the f-word in an innocuous joke.
The cast is fronted by Aidan Gillen from BBC Two’s Peaky Blinders and HBO’s Game of Thrones, who will be playing the role of Dave Allen. Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones) will take on the role of Allen’s brother, John. His father and mother will be played by Tommy Tiernan (Father Ted) and Joanne Crawford (Line of Duty). Dave Allen at Peace will also feature cameos from Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet), Pauline McLynn (Father Ted), Ian McElhinney (Star Wars: Rogue One), Simon Day (The Fast Show) and Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing).
Patrick Holland says: “Stephen Russell has written a wonderful script that is surprising, innovative and poignant, exploring the people and forces that went into making Dave Allen the comic genius he was. With Aidan Gillen leading a stellar cast, this promises to be a real treat.”
Shane Allen says: “Dave Allen defined and pushed at the boundaries of where television comedy were set and paved the way for modern stand-up to tackle controversial themes and taboos. This film explores what shaped his trail-blazing career and celebrates this hugely popular comedian who ridiculed authority figures with a twinkle in his eye, a glass of whiskey and the most talked about finger in comedy history.”
Are you guys interested in Dave Allen at Peace? Let us know at @ComingSoonnet.
