Austen Tayshus - Australia Day Special

The MERCHANT OF MENACE Live

In what is surely the definitive AUSTEN TAYSHUS DVD and one of the rare live video recordings of the "Merchant of Menace", Austen was captured for SBS Television's lavish Australia Day 2006 Special at the trendy Bridge Hotel in Sydney.


The slick recording has great production values and Austen is at his absolute incendiary best! Current events and wicked satire dominate the set, which is highlighted by Austen demanding that the Aboriginal population "...apologize for turning the white people in this Country onto alcohol and destroying their lives..." The fact that an indigenous Australian was in the audience makes for a piece of surreal comedic television history that is unequalled, and unmissable. If this show had been available to the ANZACS it might have inspired them enough to stand up and avoid the beating they took at Gallipolli.


Traditional favourites and of course his trademark best-selling soliloquy "AUSTRALIANA", are included in the show.


SBS was extremely excited when developing the project and then got so frightened of some of the segments that it was aired late in the evening and with significant caution. Deleted segments that could not be shown on television in any civilized Country are part of the DVD extras...

DVD Special Features

Deleted Scenes, too hot for television
Short Films:
Intolerance (Tropfest Winner 1998)
Howard's End