Humphries, Barry

▪ 1999

      In the spring of 1998, after a lengthy absence from the theatre, self-proclaimed international megastar Dame Edna Everage returned to the live stage in Guildford, Eng.,—courtesy of her "manager" and alter ego, Australian writer, actor, and comic performer Barry Humphries—in the world premiere of Edna: The Spectacle. On stage a pink-bewigged, outrageously bespectacled Humphries gave life to his much-beloved, self-absorbed, and often acid-tongued character, affectionately known as simply Dame Edna. Costarring with Edna in her autobiographical musical revue was another of Humphries's popular characters, Sir Les Patterson, who was comically referred to as Australia's chief emissary of culture. Not one to neglect her international fans, or "possums" as Edna referred to her audiences, later that fall she took the show to the United States.

      Humphries was born on Feb. 17, 1934, in Melbourne, Australia. He attended Melbourne University, made his theatrical debut in 1953 at the Union Theatre in Melbourne, and subsequently toured with a theatre company. His London stage debut was in The Demon Barber (1959), and he later appeared in various productions of the musical Oliver! as well as in several one-man stage shows. In 1955 the character of Edna Everage was created for a skit he was performing. Humphries said that Edna's character arose out of his desire to lampoon the people and standards of his parents' generation. What evolved was a character that could at times be condescending, insulting, and intrusive while still likeable and always sincere.

      According to Humphries's biographical accounts of Everage, she was "born" Edna Beasley and began performing anecdotal material at small venues in her hometown of Moonee Ponds, a Melbourne suburb. She was left a widow after the death of her husband, Norman Everage. She made her film debut in The Naked Bunyip (1970) and later had a role in the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) Edna achieved superstar status at lightning speed when she was made a dame on television in the 1970s in a spontaneous gesture by Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. She made numerous television appearances, among them "The Dame Edna Experience" (1987), "Dame Edna's Hollywood" (1991), and "Dame Edna Kisses It Better" (1997). Among the books that she authored were Dame Edna's Coffee Table Book: A Guide to Gracious Living and the Finer Things in Life by One of the First Ladies of the World Theatre (1976) and My Gorgeous Life: The Life, the Loves, the Legend (1989). Humphries himself also wrote several books, including Barry Humphries' Treasury of Australian Kitsch (1980). After more than 40 years of success with Dame Edna, Humphries said, "It entertains me to think a character I invented for a one-night stand in Melbourne in 1955 should still be entertaining people."

ANTHONY L. GREEN

* * *

▪ Australian actor

in full  John Barry Humphries,  byname  Dame Edna Everage 

born Feb. 17, 1934, Melbourne, Vic., Austl.

      Australian actor best known for his character Dame Edna Everage, a sharp-tongued housewife and talk show host.

      Humphries attended Melbourne University but left to pursue acting. He made his theatrical debut in 1953 at the Union Theatre in Melbourne and subsequently toured with a theatre company. His London stage debut was in The Demon Barber (1959), and he later appeared in various productions of the musical Oliver! as well as in several one-man stage shows.

      In 1955 he created the character Edna Everage for a skit he was performing. Humphries' character arose out of his desire to lampoon the people and standards of his parents' generation. Edna was at times condescending, insulting, and intrusive but still likable and sincere. While in character, Humphries refused to acknowledge Edna's fictional status, claiming that “Barry Humphries” was her manager. However, in interviews given out of character, Humphries discussed Edna, as well as his various other incarnations, as fictional. According to his biographical accounts of Edna, she was “born” Edna Beasley and began performing anecdotal material at small venues in her hometown of Moonee Ponds, a Melbourne suburb. Like Humphries, she had four children.

      Humphries debuted Edna to a wider audience on the first evening of television broadcasting in Australia in 1956. He first appeared as Edna on film in The Naked Bunyip (1970) and later played her in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978). The Edna character was made a “dame” on television in the 1970s in a spontaneous gesture by Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (Whitlam, Gough). Humphries starred as Edna in numerous television specials, among them The Dame Edna Experience (1987), Dame Edna's Hollywood (1991), Dame Edna Kisses It Better (1997), and The Dame Edna Treatment (2007). He added an additional layer to the character by playing other female roles while in the guise of Edna in films such as Nicholas Nickleby (2003).

      Humphries toured in stage productions centred on his Edna character throughout his career. His first international success was Housewife, Superstar! (1976) in London, followed by A Night with Dame Edna (1978). In 1998 he premiered Edna: The Spectacle in England and took the show to the United States as well. Later tours included Dame Edna: The Royal Tour (1999), Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance (1987; 2004), and Dame Edna: Live and Intimate in Her First Last Tour (2008).

      In addition to Edna, Humphries created several other comic characters that attracted attention, such as Sir Les Patterson, a vulgar, drunken Australian politician, and Sandy Stone, a senile old man. Humphries acted in more conventional roles in an array of films, from Immortal Beloved (1994) to providing the voice of Bruce the shark in the animated feature Finding Nemo (2003).

      Humphries wrote several books as himself, including Barry Humphries' Treasury of Australian Kitsch (1980); Women in the Background (1995), a novel about an Australian television star that in some ways mirrored his own life; and My Life as Me (2004), an autobiography. Humphries also authored several volumes in the guise of his characters. Books ostensibly by Edna included Dame Edna's Coffee Table Book: A Guide to Gracious Living and the Finer Things in Life by One of the First Ladies of the World Theatre (1976) and her autobiography, My Gorgeous Life: The Life, the Loves, the Legend (1989).

* * *