Austen Tayshus documentary on Foxtel
Austen Tayshus – Skin In The Game is a new documentary to be streamed next month featuring the four decades career of one of Australia’s most controversial and popular stand-up comedians.
Sandy Gutman aka Austen Tayshus
This film on Sandy Gutman and his alter ego Austen Tayshus covers the work, the craft, his fears, how he started, life on the road, the impossible venues and the inherent dangers – and how and why he does it.
He is always, as a matter of principle, pushing the boundaries, and entering the quagmire of political correctness throwing hand grenades all to stomp on narrow-mindedness and mediocrity to wake people up to alternative ideas.
He performs anywhere-from outback bowls clubs, to hipster pubs in Melbourne and Adelaide, universities, theatres, and rock concerts all over Australia, always refining and defining his craft.
When he strides on stage no one, not even himself, knows what is going to happen. He can improvise brilliantly, impersonate creatively, offend everyone, satirise anything and talk louder than anyone. He magically creates a masterful night of gut- laughing totally uncensored, exciting entertainment
Some people don’t like it, so he goes in harder. He shakes it up. He can control any audience. If they do not like it, they should have stayed at home.
This is how he makes a living. Driving thousands of kilometres, a year, he has seen more of Australia than any other performer. He keeps doing it because he loves it. He just cannot help himself.
His biggest hit ‘Australiana,’ broke sales records in Australia in 1983. It was on top of the charts for 13 weeks and was the biggest selling single of the year and remains the biggest selling Australian single ever.
But it is his love of stand-up that rules his life. He is a complete master at it. No audience, no hecklers, no drunken behaviour escapes his sharp tongue. He has never been one for the comfortable life, the easy fix, the day job, the TV talk show noddy drip feed, the comfort zone or the chasing of accolades.
To him the audiences and the tough venues are his DNA. He has SKIN IN THE GAME. Real skin in the game.
This is Austen Tayshus on the road, doing his thing. Big, Jewish, odd, alone, in danger and dangerous. A brilliant stand-up comedian pushing hard to make a living all over Australia. As he says, ‘It’s my job’!
AUSTEN TAYSHUS: SKIN IN THE GAME premieres Sunday July 17 at 8:30pm AEST
Available to watch On Demand on FOXTEL and on FOX DOCOS
Watched the episode , excellent , enjoyed thoroughly