Cucumbers liven up taxmen's gig

Victor

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Cucumbers liven up taxmen's gig
14/12/03 00:00
By Simon Carswell

You would be forgiven for assuming that the Irish Taxation Institute's annual "Friends Night" dinner would not be one of the raunchiest parties in town this Christmas.

But this year's dinner - held last Thursday in the lavish banqueting hall at the five-star Westin Hotel in Dublin - was a lot more exciting than expected.

About 150 guests, including authors, lecturers and those who contributed to the taxation institute's events and publications during the year, were treated to an after-dinner show with quite a few unexpected twists.

The entertainment, performed by a troupe from London, comprised mime artists impersonating well-known performers, such as Michael Jackson, to background music.

A female singer, dressed as a disco star, performed her song with a whip. Another of the group's male artists performed a song, which was described by a guest as "quite dirty".

An attendee claimed that one of the artists performed a song with "a Coke bottle" down his trousers. However, another guest disputed this, saying he thought it must have been a cucumber.

After only four songs, the entertainment became too lewd and the organisers of the institute's dinner pulled the plug.

Pat Costello, the Institute's chief executive, said the show was not stopped halfway through, but a few minutes before it ended. "It was a little bit different from what we were expecting," he said.

A guest was overheard saying to Frank Daly, chairman of the Revenue Com missioners, who was also in attendance, that the event was a little like appearing before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee. "It could go grand, or it could turn terribly dirty," the guest said.