The Cheese Shop Xmas Show #3 (1994)
In 1994 Dave was still only hosting short seasons of The Cheese Shop at the Prince Patrick Hotel. The middle of the year would see him travel to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he would soak up as much comedy culture as he could stand - meeting 'comedy workers' and recording interviews with Australian and OS acts that he could play on The Cheese Shop radio show. He established such strong contacts that when those OS performers came to Australia they would rely on him for a perspective on the local scene and Dave would proudly show these performers off to his loyal Cheese Shoppers.
1994 marks the Cheese Shop Xmas Show debut of Flacco (aka Paul Livingstone), a person whom Dave considered to be a great friend. Flacco received star treatment with his own 40-min bracket, I think because he represented all the comic elements Dave admired - sliding from puns to sight gags to philosophical allusions with a fair whack of absurdity, theatricality and absolute silliness - a kind of comedy performance art. Right up Dave's alley.
The highlight of the night for the crowd was doubtless the All-In No Holds Barred Nativity Play. Written by Greg Fleet (ostensibly... there were many embellishments along the way) it featured pretty much everyone who had graced the Cheese Shop stage that year. It was haphazard. it was slap-dash... and in that sense, it was perfect.
 
THE SET LIST
First Bracket
Dave Taranto (MC) - Fred Rowan - Sue-Ann Post
Second Bracket
Dave Taranto (MC) - Flacco
Third Bracket
Dave Taranto (MC) - Anthony Morgan (with Matt Parkinson) Fourth Bracket
All-In No Holds Barred Nativity Play by Greg Fleet featuring Dave Taranto (as the narrator), Greg Fleet, Mick Molloy (as The Baby Jesus), Tony Martin, Sue-Ann Post (as Mary), Lynda Gibson, Matt Parkinson, Matt Quartermaine, Anthony Morgan (as Joseph), Peter Rowsthorn, Marty Sheargold, Matt King, Darren Casey and Tim Smith (as a donkey). |
