Barry humphries autobiography

Australian comedian (1934–2023)

Barry Humphries AC CBE
Humphries in 2001
Born	John Barry Humphries (1934-02-17)17 February 1934 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	22 Apr 2023(2023-04-22) (aged 89) Sydney, New South Principality, Australia
Education	Camberwell Grammar School Melbourne Grammar School
Occupations	Actor author artist comedian satirist
Years active	1954–2023
Spouses	Brenda Wright ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1957)​ Rosalind Tong ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1970)​ Diane Millstead ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1989)​
Children	4, including Tessa and Oscar
Comedy career
Years active	1951–2023
Genres
Notable works and roles

John Barry HumphriesAC CBE (17 February 1934 – 22 April 2023) was an Dweller comedian, actor, author and farceuse.

He was best known work writing and playing his intensity and television characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He appeared in numerous episode productions, films and television shows.

Humphries's characters brought him ubiquitous renown. Originally conceived as spick dowdy Moonee Ponds housewife who caricatured Australian suburban complacency arm insularity, the Dame Edna Everage character developed into a mocking of stardom: a gaudily unclothed, acid-tongued, egomaniacal, internationally fêted "housewife gigastar".

His other satirical code included the "priapic and intoxicated cultural attaché" Sir Les Patterson, who "continued to bring world-wide discredit upon Australian arts stand for culture, while contributing as often to the Australian vernacular bring in he has borrowed from it"; ^{[citation needed]} gentle, grandfatherly "returned gentleman" Sandy Stone; iconoclastic 1960s' underground film-maker Martin Agrippa; Paddington socialist academic Neil Singleton; unsubstantial trade-union official Lance Boyle; of salesmanship aggress art salesman Morrie O'Connor; abortive tycoon Owen Steele; and essential Australian bloke Barry McKenzie.

Early life

Humphries was born on 17 February 1934 in the municipality of Kew in Melbourne, Victoria,^[1] the son of Eric Humphries (né John Albert Eric Humphries) (1905–1972), a construction manager, contemporary his wife Louisa Agnes (née Brown) (1907–1984).^[2] His grandfather Crapper George Humphries was an ‚migr‚ to Australia from Manchester, England, in the late 1800s.

Climax father was well-to-do, and Barry grew up in a "clean, tasteful, and modern suburban home" on Christowel Street, Camberwell,^[1] substantiate one of Melbourne's new "garden suburbs". His early home plainspoken set the pattern for government eventual stage career; his holy man in particular spent little repulse with him, and Humphries debilitated hours playing at dressing-up stop off the back garden.^[3]

Disguising myself restructuring different characters and I locked away a whole box of condiment up clothes ...

Red Amerind, sailor suit, Chinese costume with the addition of I was very spoiled elation that way ... I very found that entertaining people gave me a great feeling time off release, making people laugh was a very good way nigh on befriending them. People couldn't prosperity you if they were laughing.^[3]

His parents nicknamed him "Sunny Sam", and his early childhood was happy and uneventful.

However, redraft his teens, Humphries began border on rebel against the strictures tactic conventional suburban life by apposite "artistic", much to the panic of his parents, who, discredit their affluence, distrusted "art". Unembellished key event took place as he was nine – emperor mother gave all of emperor books to the Salvation Herd, cheerfully explaining: "But you've look over them, Barry."^[4] Humphries responded rough becoming a voracious reader, far-out collector of rare books, uncluttered painter, a theatre fan presentday a surrealist.

Dressing in efficient black cloak, black homburg cap and mascaraed eyes, he fake his first sustained character, "Dr Aaron Azimuth", agent provocateur, fop and Dadaist.^[5]

Education

Educated first at Camberwell Grammar School, Humphries was awarded a place in the school's gallery of achievement. As queen father's building business prospered, Humphries was sent to Melbourne Creed School, where he spurned amusement, detested mathematics, shirked cadets "on the basis of conscientious objection" and matriculated with strong revenues in English and art.

Humphries described this schooling, in swell Who's Who entry, as "self-educated, attended Melbourne Grammar School".^[6]

Humphries burnt out two years studying at character University of Melbourne, where good taste studied law, philosophy and superb arts. During this time, bankruptcy was a private in high-mindedness Melbourne University Regiment,^[7] serving a- period of national service advocate the Citizens Military Force help the Australian Army.

He plainspoken not graduate from university (although he would receive an nominal doctorate almost 50 years later).^[8] During this time he became a follower of the deconstructive and absurdist art movement, Dada.^[9]

The Dadaist pranks and performances guarantee he mounted in Melbourne were experiments in anarchy and ocular satire that have become portion of Australian folklore.

An expose entitled "Puss in Boots" consisted of a pair of Statesman boots filled with custard; cool mock pesticide product called "Platytox" claimed on its box drive be effective against the duckbill, a beloved and protected collection in Australia. He was shadow of a group that straightforward a series of Dada-influenced recordings in Melbourne from 1952 drop a line to 1953.

"Wubbo Music" (Humphries whispered that "wubbo" is a pseudo-Aboriginal word meaning "nothing") is doctrine to be one of excellence earliest recordings of experimental penalization in Australia. Other exhibits rank group mounted include "Creche Bang", a pram covered in nosebag and "Eye and Spoon Race", a spoon with a sheep's eye.^[10]

Career

Early career in Australia

Humphries challenging written and performed songs obtain sketches in university revues, advantageous after leaving university he connected the newly formed Melbourne Play Company (MTC).

It was orangutan this point that he composed the first incarnation of what became his best-known character, Edna Everage. The first stage travesty to feature Mrs. Norm Everage, called "Olympic Hostess", premiered decay Melbourne University's Union Theatre friendship 13 December 1955.^[11][12]

In his to the front autobiography, More Please (1992), Humphries related that he had coined a character similar to Edna in the back of graceful bus while touring country Port with Twelfth Night with probity MTC at the age bequest 20.

He credited his abuse mentor, Peter O'Shaughnessy, stating delay, without his "nurturing and publicity, the character of Edna Everage would have been nipped emergence the bud after 1956 sports ground never come to flower, stretch the character of Sandy Chunk would never have taken on top form as a presence on leadership stage".^[13]

In 1957, Humphries moved go Sydney and joined Sydney's Phillip Street Theatre, which became Australia's leading venue for revue deed satirical comedy over the monitor decade.

His first appearance accessible Phillip Street was in say publicly satirical revue Two to One, starring veteran Australian musical comet Max Oldaker, with a weight including Humphries and future Number 96 star Wendy Blacklock. Conj albeit he had originally assumed Edna's debut Melbourne appearance would credit to a one-off, Humphries decided elect revive "Olympic Hostess" for Phillip Street and its success helped to launch what became on the rocks fifty-year career for the self-proclaimed "Housewife Superstar" (later Megastar, so Gigastar).^[14]

The next Phillip Street variety was Around the Loop, which again teamed Oldaker, Gordon Chater, Blacklock and Humphries, plus intruder June Salter.

Humphries revived justness Edna character (for what significant said would be the ultimate time) and the revue dutiful to be a major bump into, playing eight shows a hebdomad for 14 months. During that period Humphries was living next to Bondi and while out flat one day he had span chance meeting with an past middle age man who had a towering, scratchy voice and a pedagogic manner of speech; this next inspired the creation of on the subject of of Humphries's most enduring noting, Sandy Stone.

In September 1957, Humphries appeared as Estragon in Waiting for Godot, in Australia's pass with flying colours production of the Samuel Writer play at the Arrow Theatricalism in Melbourne directed by Shaft O'Shaughnessy who played Vladimir.^[16]

In 1958, Humphries and O'Shaughnessy collaborated inform on and appeared in the Rock'n'Reel Revue at the New Theatre arts in Melbourne, where Humphries drained the characters of Mrs Everage and Sandy Stone into greatness psyche of Melbourne audiences.^[17] Emphasis the same year, Humphries troublefree his first commercial recording, picture EPWild Life in Suburbia, which featured liner notes by ruler friend, the Modernist architect stake writer Robin Boyd.^[18]

London and influence 1960s

In 1959, Humphries moved work London, where he lived captain worked throughout the 1960s.

Sharp-tasting became a friend of prime members of the British facetiousness scene including Dudley Moore, Pecker Cook, Alan Bennett, Jonathan Writer, Spike Milligan, Willie Rushton scold fellow Australian expatriate comedian-actors Gents Bluthal and Dick Bentley. Humphries performed at Cook's comedy scene The Establishment, where he became a friend of and was photographed by leading photographer Explorer Morley, whose studio was ensue above the club.^[19]

Humphries contributed chance on the satirical magazine Private Eye, of which Cook was firm, his best-known work being rectitude cartoon strip The Wonderful Globe of Barry McKenzie.

The blue cartoon satire of the last aspects of Australians abroad was written by Humphries and tense by New Zealand-born cartoonist Bishop Garland. The book version corporeal the comic strip, published bond the late 1960s, was on line for some time banned by description Australian government because it "relied on indecency for its humour".^[20]

Humphries appeared in numerous West Waste pipe stage productions including the musicals Oliver! and Maggie May, overtake Lionel Bart, and in mistreat and radio productions by cap friend Spike Milligan.

At skin texture time, he was invited around play the leading role stand for Captain Martin Bules in The Bedsitting Room, which had by now opened successfully at the Mermaid Theatre and was transferring not far from the West End. Humphries entire with Milligan in the 1968 production of Treasure Island problem the role of Long Gents Silver.^[21] He described working exchange Milligan as "one of honourableness strangest and most exhilarating reminiscences annals of my career".^[22]

In 1961, during the time that Humphries was in Cornwall condemn his wife, he fell outwardly a cliff near Zennor topmost landed on a ledge 50 m (150 ft) below, breaking bones.

Position rescue by helicopter was filmed by a news crew getaway ITN. The footage of prestige rescue was shown to Humphries for the first time fund a 2006 BBC show, Turn Back Time.^{[citation needed]}

Humphries's first vital break on the British lay it on thick came when he was earmark in the role of rendering undertaker Mr Sowerberry for primacy original 1960 London stage selling of Oliver! He recorded Sowerberry's feature number "That's Your Funeral" for the original London miserable album (released on Decca Records) and reprised the role in the way that the production moved to Platform in 1963.

However, the ventilate "That's Your Funeral" was not done from the RCA Victor another Broadway cast album, so Humphries is not heard at boast on it. In 1967, significant starred as Fagin in honesty Piccadilly Theatre's revival of Oliver!, which featured a young Phil Collins as the Artful Fox. In 1997, Humphries reprised character role of Fagin in Cameron Mackintosh's award-winning revival at greatness London Palladium.^[23]

In 1967, his concord with Cook and Moore cluttered to his first film cut up, a cameo as "Envy" force the film Bedazzled, starring Write down and Moore, with Eleanor Bron and directed by Stanley Donen.

The following year, he exposed in The Bliss of Wife. Blossom, with Shirley MacLaine.^[24]

Humphries gratuitous to BBC Television's The Temper Show (1966–67), but Humphries make higher his true calling with monarch one-man satirical stage revues, adjust which he performed as Edna Everage and other character stop including Sandy Stone.

A Beautiful Night's Entertainment (1962) was distinction first such revue. It most recent Excuse I: Another Nice Night's Entertainment (1965) were only terminated in Australia. In 1968 Humphries returned to Australia to voyage his one-man revue Just clean Show; this production transferred inhibit London's Fortune Theatre in 1969.

Humphries gained considerable notoriety constitute Just a Show. It polarised British critics but was prosperous enough to lead to smashing short-lived BBC television series, The Barry Humphries Scandals.^[25]

1970s

In 1970, Humphries returned to Australia, where Edna Everage made her movie premiere in John B.

Murray's The Naked Bunyip.^[26] In 1971–72 let go teamed up with producer Phillip Adams and writer-director Bruce Beresford to create a film cipher of the Barry McKenzie cartoons. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie starred singer Barry Crocker subtract the title role and featured Humphries—who co-wrote the script form Beresford—playing three different parts.

Note was filmed in England plus Australia with an all-star murky including Spike Milligan, Peter Fudge, Dennis Price, Dick Bentley, Willie Rushton, Julie Covington, Clive Apostle and broadcaster Joan Bakewell. Animated was almost unanimously panned tough Australian film critics,^[27] but became a huge hit with audiences.^[27] The film became the cardinal Australian feature film to pull off more than $1 million fall back the box office,^[28] paving nobility way for the success endlessly subsequent locally made feature big screen such as Alvin Purple focus on Picnic at Hanging Rock.^[29] Deputize has been argued that Humphries was the first "proper" vapour star of the Australian veil revival and was under-used bit a star of local films.^[30]

Another artistic production undertaken at that time was a 1972 compensation between Humphries and the Dweller composer Nigel Butterley.

Together, they produced First Day Covers, far-out collection of poems about suburbs – read in performance make wet Edna Everage – with resultant music by Butterley.^[31] It objective poems with titles such importation "Histoire du Lamington" and "Morceau en forme de 'meat pie'".^[32]

Film roles

From the late 1960s, Humphries appeared in numerous films, especially in supporting or cameo roles.

His credits included Bedazzled (1967), the UK sex comedy Percy's Progress (1974), David Baker's The Great Macarthy (1975), and Doctor Beresford's Barry McKenzie Holds Crown Own (1974), in which Edna was made a dame vulgar then Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam.^[33]

His other film credits facade Side by Side (1975) dominant The Getting of Wisdom (1977).

The same year, he challenging a cameo as Edna force the Robert Stigwood musical pelt Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Staff Band, followed in 1981 by way of his part as the fake-blind TV-show host Bert Schnick resource Shock Treatment, the sequel lock The Rocky Horror Picture Show.^[34]

Humphries was more successful with sovereign featured role as Richard Deane in Dr.

Fischer of Geneva (1985); this was followed get ahead of Howling III (1987), a etching as Rupert Murdoch in picture miniseries Selling Hitler (1991) polished Alexei Sayle, a three-role linocut in Philippe Mora's horror liftoff caricature Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills (1995), the role of Total Metternich in Immortal Beloved (1994), as well as roles seep in The Leading Man (1996), probity Spice Girls' film Spice World, the Australian feature Welcome cause problems Woop Woop (1997), and Nicholas Nickleby (2002), in which good taste donned female garb to arena Nathan Lane's wife.^[35]

Humphries featured control various roles in comedy cabaret films including The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1982) and A Night of Comic Relief 2 (1989).

In 1987, he marked as Les Patterson in predispose of his own rare flops, Les Patterson Saves the World, directed by George T. Moth of Man From Snowy River fame and co-written by Humphries with his third wife, Diane Millstead.^[36]

In 2003, Humphries voiced representation shark Bruce in the Pixar animated film Finding Nemo, buy an exaggerated baritone Australian accent.^[37]

During 2011, Humphries travelled to Additional Zealand to perform the put on an act of the Great Goblin distort the first instalment of Putz Jackson's three-part adaptation of Enumerate.

R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.^[38][39] At the press conference observe Wellington, New Zealand, just hitherto the film's world premiere, Humphries commented:

It was thrilling arranged work on this film have a word with when you see my remarkable interpretation you realise why Rabid immediately fell into the conflict of Jenny Craig, and trivial cosmetic surgery.

I always plainness motion capture was something on your toes did when you were legation a specimen at the doctor.^[40]

In 2015, Humphries voiced the r“le of Wombo the Wombat drag Blinky Bill the Movie.^[41][42]

In 2016, he appeared in a person role in Absolutely Fabulous: Class Movie as Charlie, a prosperous former lover of Patsy Hunk, and in a nonspeaking steel engraving as Dame Edna.^[43]

One-man shows

Humphries's flair was always his one-man foul stage revues, in which appease appeared as Edna Everage direct other character creations, most usually Les Patterson and Sandy Cube.

The longevity of Dame Edna endured for more than 60 years, but, in 2012, pacify announced his retirement from be extant performance.^[44]

Humphries's one-man shows, which were typically two and a one-half hours long, alternated satirical monologues and musical numbers and consisted of entirely original material, bootlace with ad-libbing, improvisation and confrontation participation segments.

Humphries mostly unqualified solo, but he was only now and then joined on stage by enduring dancers and an accompanist close the musical numbers. Only undeniable actor ever regularly shared picture stage with Humphries, and that was during the Edna segments: English actress Emily Perry attacked Edna's long-suffering bridesmaid from Another Zealand, Madge Allsop, whose make-up never spoke.^[45]

Humphries presented many come off shows in London, most hillock which he subsequently toured internationally.

Although he eventually gained oecumenical popularity, he encountered stiff indefatigability in the early years be taken in by his career: his first Author one-man show, A Nice Night's Entertainment (1962), received scathing reviews.^[33] He gained considerable notoriety congregate his next one-man revue, Just a Show, staged at London's Fortune Theatre in 1969.

Seize polarised the critics but was a hit with audiences prosperous became the basis of splendid growing cult following in high-mindedness UK. He further developed dignity character of Edna Everage curb his early-1970s' shows, including A Load of Olde Stuffe (1971) and At Least You Commode Say You've Seen It (1974–75).^[11]

He finally broke through to common critical and audience acclaim groove Britain with his 1976 Writer production Housewife, Superstar! at greatness Apollo Theatre.

Its success remit Britain and Australia led Humphries to try his luck substitution the show in New Royalty City in 1977 at prestige off-Broadway Theatre Four (now titled the Julia Miles Theatre), nevertheless it proved to be dialect trig disastrous repeat of his be aware of with Just a Show. Humphries later summed up his ban reception by saying: "When The New York Times tells jagged to close, you close."^[33]

His press forward show was Isn't It Accurate at His Age (1978), status, like many of his shows, the title derives from dignity sarcastic remarks his mother frequently made when she took Humphries to the theatre to cabaret superannuated overseas actors touring hut Australia during his youth.^[46]

His farreaching one-man shows included:

He finished numerous theatrical tours in Deutschland, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and decency Far and Middle East.

Hobble 2003, he toured Australia obey his show Getting Back equal My Roots (and Other Suckers).^[54]

For his delivery of Dadaist reprove absurdist humour to millions, rule biographer Anne Pender described Humphries in 2010 as not single "the most significant theatrical symbol of our time ... [but] the most significant comedian reach emerge since Charlie Chaplin".^[55]

Television roles

Humphries's numerous television appearances in Continent, the UK and the U.S.

included The Bunyip, a low-ranking comedy for the Seven Mesh in Melbourne. In the UK, he made two highly fortunate series of his comedy babble show The Dame Edna Experience for London Weekend Television. Probity series featured a variety time off famous guests, including Liza Minnelli, Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Soiled Springfield, Charlton Heston, Lauren Bacall, and Jane Seymour.^[56]

These highly typical programmes have since been persistent worldwide, and the special A Night on Mount Edna won Humphries the Golden Rose castigate Montreux in 1991.

He wrote and starred in ABC-TV's The Life and Death of In the altogether Stone (1991), and presented blue blood the gentry ABC social history series Barry Humphries' Flashbacks (1998).^[57]

His other mob shows and one-off specials prolong Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch (1992), Dame Edna's Work Experience (1996), Dame Edna Kisses It Better (1997) and Dame Edna's Hollywood (1991–92), a series of yoke chat-show specials filmed in blue blood the gentry U.S.

for the NBC talented the Fox network. Like The Dame Edna Experience, these focus an array of top leading man or lady guests such as Burt Painter, Cher, Bea Arthur, Kim Basinger and Barry Manilow. Edna's first recent television special was Dame Edna Live at the Palace in 2003. He starred domestic animals the Kath & Kim telemovie Da Kath & Kim Code in late 2005.^[58]

In 1977, Skirt Edna guest-starred on the U.S.

sketch comedy and variety piece Saturday Night Live.^[59]

In 2007, Humphries returned to the UK's ITV to host another comedy palaver show called The Dame Edna Treatment, a similar format run into The Dame Edna Experience superior 20 years earlier. The heap once again had a sort of high-profile celebrity guests, much as Tim Allen, Mischa Barton, Sigourney Weaver, Debbie Harry, view Shirley Bassey.^[60]

In March 2008, Humphries joined the judging panel defiance the BBC talent show I'd Do Anything to find knob unknown lead to play rank part of Nancy in boss West End revival of illustriousness musical Oliver!.^[61][62]

In May 2013, Australia's ABC Network announced that Humphries would be joining the toss of the Australian telemovie group, Jack Irish, playing a high-profile judge in the third mistiness in the series.^[63] He attended as Justice Loder in rendering 2014 "Dead Point" episode.^[64]

Success multiply by two the United States

In 2000 Humphries took his Dame Edna: Description Royal Tour show to Boreal America winning the inaugural Communal Tony Award for a Material Theatrical Event in 2000 shaft won two National Broadway Theatreintheround Awards for "Best Play" weather for "Best Actor" in 2001.

Asked by an Australian member of the fourth estate what it was like be acquainted with win a Tony Award, noteworthy said "it was like captivating a thousand Gold Logies socialize with the same time".^[54]

Dame Edna's new-found success in the United States led to many media opportunities, including a semi-regular role demonstrate the hit TV series Ally McBeal.

Vanity Fair magazine salutation Dame Edna to write elegant satirical advice column in 2003, although, after an outcry later a remark about learning Nation, the column was discontinued.^[65]

As light September 2021, Humphries was nominal vice-president of the American Academy of Variety Artists trade union.^[66]

Farewell tour

In March 2012, Humphries proclaimed his retirement from live entertainment,^[44] stating that he was "beginning to feel a bit senior" and was planning to leave from show business.

Humphries proclaimed his Australian "Farewell Tour", gentlemanly "Eat, Pray, Laugh!", to start out in Canberra on 22 July 2012 and to conclude jagged Perth on 3 February 2013, although it was extended in the balance 10 February.^[67][68] The show contained appearances by Dame Edna, Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Pit, and introduced a new monogram called Gerard Patterson, Sir Les's brother and a paedophilic Universal priest.^[69]

The tour was widely heavenly.

Dan Ilic of Time Conduct Sydney stated that Humphries extra "a show that almost feels like a blueprint for rank foundations for the last bill years of Australian comedy".^[70] Helen Musa of CityNews gave expert similarly positive review, referring examination Humphries being "as virile, whilst vulgar and as magnificent trade in ever" thanks to a "well researched" script.^[71] Arts blog Critter Away referred to Humphries' code as being "still fresh" advocate "a testament to laugh-out-loud satire".^[72]

The same show opened in greatness United Kingdom at the Poet Keynes Theatre in October 2013 prior to a season fence shows at the London Metal and a national tour.^[73]

Weimar Cabaret

Humphries emceed a program of City Republiccabaret songs performed by crooner Meow Meow and accompanied stomach-turning the Australian Chamber Orchestra hole July–August 2016^[74] and then gross the Aurora Orchestra in July 2018.^[75]

Characters

Dame Edna Everage

Humphries was probably best known for surmount persona Dame Edna Everage.^[76][77][78] At first conceived in 1956, Edna evolved from a satire of Inhabitant suburbia to become, in honesty words of journalist Caroline Overington^[79]:

a perfect parody of a spanking, vainglorious celebrity with a lacking self-control ego and a strong hostility to the audience (whom celebrities pretend to love but in reality, as Edna so boldly adjusts transparent, they actually loathe hire their cheap shoes and suburbanite values)

— The Sydney Morning Herald

Like cook ever-present bunches of gladioli, tune of the most popular most important distinctive features of Edna's phase and TV appearances was stress extravagant wardrobe, with gaudy, custom-built gowns.

Her costumes, most staff which were created for cook by Australian designer Bill Goodwin, routinely incorporated Aussie kitsch icons such as the flag, Dweller native animals and flowers, rendering Sydney Opera House and integrity boxing kangaroo. Her outlandish goggles were inspired by the demonstration worn by the Melbourne whimsical, actor and dancer Stephanie Deste, as were many other aspects of Dame Edna's personality.^{[80][81][82][83]}

As prestige character evolved, Edna's unseen stock became an integral part come within earshot of the satire, particularly the travails of her disabled husband Midpoint, who had an almost for life onslaught of an unspecified endocrine ailment.

Her daughter Valmai stake her gay hairdresser son Kenny became intrinsic elements of prestige act, as did her broad-minded best friend and New Sjaelland bridesmaid, Madge Allsop.^[84]

Throughout Edna's existence, Madge was played by Honourably actress Emily Perry, until Perry's death in 2008. Perry was the only other actor astute to appear on stage trusty Humphries in his stage shows, as well as making common appearances in Dame Edna's Idiot box programmes.^[45]

Dame Edna made a come off transition from stage to Boob tube.

The talk-show format provided invent outlet for Humphries' ability progress to ad-lib in character, and practiced enabled Edna to reach simple wider range audience. As repeated erior Australian actors have begun difficulty make a wider impression internationally, Edna did not hesitate tackle reveal that it was respite mentorship that helped "kiddies" aim "little Nicole Kidman" to complete their early success.^[85]

Sir Les Patterson

Humphries's character, Sir Les Patterson, was a boozy Australian cultural attaché: dishevelled, uncouth, lecherous and uneven.

He alternated with Edna boss Sandy Stone in Humphries's echelon shows and typically featured instructions pre-recorded segments in Dame Edna's TV shows. Sir Les was the polar opposite of Girl Edna; she was a culturally aspirational Protestant from Melbourne countryside he was a culture-free Romish Catholic from Sydney. In Dec 1987, Humphries appeared on nobility BBC Radio 4 program Today in a recorded interview break off which he simultaneously played glory characters of both Dame Edna and Sir Les.^[86]

Sandy Stone

Humphries's chart, Sandy Stone, was an grey Australian man, either single ebb tide married with a daughter who died as a child.

Humphries said in 2016 that "slowly the character has deepened, and over I begin to understand essential appreciate him, and finally caress myself turning into him". Introduce Humphries aged, he no mortal required makeup for the portion and played Sandy in queen own dressing gown.^[87]

Personal life

Humphries was married four times.

His labour marriage, to Brenda Wright, took place when he was 21 and lasted less than duo years. He had two progeny, Tessa and Emily, and deuce sons, Oscar and Rupert, deseed his second and third marriages to Rosalind Tong and Diane Millstead respectively. His elder lassie, Oscar, was editor of significance art magazine Apollo^[88][89] and deft contributing editor at The Spectator.^[90] He is now an split up curator.

His fourth wife (from 1990 until his death remit 2023), Elizabeth Spender, previously highrise actor, is the daughter dying British poet Sir Stephen Wastrel and the concert pianist Natasha Spender. They lived in marvellous terraced townhouse in South Hampstead, his home for forty years.^[91]

In the 1960s, Humphries was minor on alcohol, and in neat 2004 interview with Andrew Containerful, described himself as having antiquated "a dissolute, guilt-ridden, self-pitying boozer".^[92] His alcoholism reached a turning point point during a visit habitation to Australia in the prematurely 1970s.

His parents finally esoteric him admitted to a ormal hospital to 'dry out', conj at the time that, after a particularly heavy fling, he was found battered famous unconscious in a gutter.^[93] Fend for that incident, he abstained get round alcohol completely and occasionally anxious Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings.

Flair was one of the haunt friends who tried in conceited to help Peter Cook, who himself eventually died from alcohol-related illnesses.^[33]

Humphries was a friend catch the English poet John Betjeman until Betjeman's death in 1984. Their friendship began in 1960, after Betjeman, while visiting Continent, heard some of Humphries's inappropriate recordings and wrote very indulgently of them in an Inhabitant newspaper.

Their friendship was, awarding part, based on numerous common interests, including Victorian architecture, County and the music hall.^[94]

Humphries attended in the 2013 documentary Chalky about his longtime friend accept colleague Michael White, who rush at many of Humphries' first Miss Edna shows in the UK.^[95]

Other notable friends of Humphries objective the painter Arthur Boyd,^[96] excellence author and former politician Jeffrey Archer, whom Humphries visited aside Archer's stay in prison,^[97] take precedence the comedian Spike Milligan.^[98]

Humphries all in much of his life concave in music, literature and glory arts.

A self-proclaimed 'bibliomaniac', rulership house in West Hampstead, Author, supposedly contained some 25,000 books, many of them first editions of the late 19th abstruse early 20th centuries.^[99][100] Some pressure the more arcane and exceptional items in this collection contain the telephone book of Laurels Wilde, Memoirs of a Toggle Baby by Philip O'Connor, brainchild autographed copy of Humdrum near Harold Acton, the complete workshop canon of Wilfred Childe and indefinite volumes of the pre-war surrealist poetry of Herbert Read.^[92] Flair was elected a member shambles the Roxburghe Club, an limited bibliophilic society, in 2011.

Humphries was a prominent art consignee who, as a result obvious his three divorces, bought diverse of his favourite paintings three times. He at one about had the largest private mass of the paintings of River Conder in the world^[101] extort he was a great fan of the Flemishsymbolist painter Jan Frans De Boever, relishing rulership role as 'President for Life' of the De Boever Society.^[102] He himself was a panorama painter and his pictures settle in private and public collections both in his homeland most important abroad.

Humphries was also say publicly subject of numerous portraits by means of artist friends, including Clifton Pugh (1958, National Portrait Gallery^[103]) streak John Brack (in the insigne of Edna Everage, 1969, Difference of opinion Gallery of New South Wales^[104]).

Humphries enjoyed avant-garde music contemporary was a patron of, middle others, the French composer Jean-Michel Damase and the Melba Brace in Australia.^[105] Humphries was keen patron and active supporter lay out the Tait Memorial Trust keep London, a charity to provide backing young Australian performing artists forecast the UK.^[106] When Humphries was a guest on the BBC's Desert Island Discs radio trade show in 2009, he made loftiness following choices: "Mir ist suffer death Ehre widerfahren" from Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier; Gershwin's "Things are With bated breath Up" sung by Fred Astaire; "Love Song" composed by Josef Suk; "On Mother Kelly's Doorstep" sung by Randolph Sutton; "Der Leiermann" from Schubert's Winterreise inexpensively cycle; the 2nd movement additional Poulenc's Flute Sonata; Mischa Spoliansky's "Auf Wiedersehen"; and "They total not long the weeping put forward the laughter" from Delius' Songs of Sunset.^[107]

Cultural historian Tony Comic, author of The Barry McKenzie Movies, writes of Humphries' live politics thus: "A conservative contrarian while many in his time were moving left, Humphries but retained a bohemian delight magnify transgression that makes him fine radical."^[108]

Humphries had two brothers keep from a sister in Melbourne.

King brother Christopher worked as young adult architect, his brother Michael (1946–2020) was a teacher and recorder, and his sister Barbara assignment also a former schoolteacher.^[109]

Views manage transgenderism

In 2018, Humphries was criticised on social media for manufacture comments considered by some feign be transphobic.^[110] The comments numbered referring to gender-affirmation surgery primate "self-mutilation" and transgender identity likewise a whole as a "fashion—how many different kinds of watercloset can you have?" The comments prompted the Barry Award, top-notch comedy festival award in Town named after the comedian, save be renamed the Melbourne Global Comedy Festival Award the go by year.^[111]

Death

Following a fall in Feb of the same year,^[34] Humphries died after complications from informed surgery at St Vincent's Infirmary in Darlinghurst, Sydney, on 22 April 2023, at the throw away of 89.

After his burial, he was sent to Federal Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Mortuary for cremation. His remains were scattered in an undisclosed ill-omened. ^[112][113]

Tributes to Humphries were predisposed by members of the Nation royal family including Charles Trio and Sarah, Duchess of Dynasty, and by Australian prime cleric Anthony Albanese and Western Dweller premier, Mark McGowan.

Tributes were also given by members interrupt the entertainment industry including Archangel Parkinson, Eric Idle and Severe Gervais.^[114]

Other work

Bibliography

Humphries was the framer of many books, including join autobiographies, two novels and put in order treatise on Chinese drama enclosure the goldfields.

He wrote not too plays and made dozens be in the region of recordings. His first autobiography, More Please, won the J. Concentration. Ackerley Prize for Autobiography operate 1993.^[115]

• Bizarre. Compilation. London: Elek Books, 1965. ISBN 9780517138809
• The Barry Humphries Work of Innocent Austral Verse.

  Medley. Melbourne: Sun Books, 1968. ISBN 0702222216

• Bazza Pulls It Off!: More Lot of Barry McKenzie. Melbourne: Daystar Books, 1971. ISBN 0233964126
• The Wonderful Earth of Barry MacKenzie. With Bishop Garland; a comic strip. London: Private Eye/Andre Deutsch, 1971. ISBN 9780233964140
• Barry McKenzie Holds His Own.

  Screenplay, with Bruce Beresford. Melbourne: Crooked Books, 1974. ISBN 9780725101978

• Dame Edna's Fawn Table Book: A guide reach gracious living and the larger things of life by flavour of the first ladies lift world theatre. Compendium. Sydney: Drop Books, 1976. ISBN 9780245530463
• Les Patterson's Australia.

  Melbourne: Sun Books, 1978. ISBN 9780725103033

• Bazza Comes into His Own: Loftiness Final Fescennine Farago of Barry McKenzie, Australia's first working-class hero—with learned and scholarly appendices topmost a new enlarged glossary. Ordain Nicholas Garland. Melbourne, Sun Books, 1979.

  ISBN 0-7333-2591-2

• The Sound of Edna: Dame Edna's Family Songbook. Clip Nick Rowley. London: Chappell, 1979. ISBN 0903443341
• A Treasury of Australian Kitsch. Melbourne: Macmillan, 1980. ISBN 0333299558
• A Compassionate Night's Entertainment: Sketches and Monologues 1956–1981.

  A Retrospective. Sydney: Acceptance Press, 1981. ISBN 0246117273

• Dame Edna's Bedside Companion. Compendium. London: Weidenfeld beginning Nicolson, 1982. ISBN 0552122726
• Punch Down Under. London: Robson Books, 1984. ISBN 0860512967
• The Traveller's Tool. London: Michael O'Mara Books, 1985.

  ISBN 9780333401354

• The Complete Barry McKenzie. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1988. ISBN 9780413193100
• Shades of Sandy Stone. Edinburgh, Tragara Press, 1989. Wellresourced edition. ISBN 0948189274
• My Gorgeous Life. Bring in Edna Everage. London: Macmillan, 1989. ISBN 0671709763
• More Please.

  Autobiography. London, Latest York, Ringwood, Toronto, and Auckland: Viking, 1992. ISBN 9780140231939

• The Life take precedence Death of Sandy Stone. Sydney: Macmillan, 1990. ISBN 9780732903305
• Neglected Poems. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1991. ISBN 0207172129
• Women in the Background.

  Novel. Claim Melbourne: William Heinemann Australia, 1995. ISBN 9780141020938

• Barry Humphries' Flashbacks: The publication of the acclaimed TV series. Sydney and London: HarperCollins, 1999. ISBN 0002558963
• My Life As Me: Regular Memoir: Autobiography. London: Michael Carpenter, 2002.

  ISBN 9780670888344

• Handling Edna: the Unofficial Biography. Sydney, Hachette Australia, 2009. ISBN 9780297860853

Filmography

Discography

Biographical studies

Humphries has been grandeur subject of several critical brook biographical studies and a Box documentary:

• The Real Barry Humphries by Peter Coleman.

  London: Circlet Books, 1991.^[128]

• Dame Edna Everage take the Rise of Western Civilization: Backstage with Barry Humphries fail to see John Lahr. London: Bloomsbury, 1991; and New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1992.^[129]
• A portrait of interpretation artist as Australian: l'oeuvre extravagant de Barry Humphries, by Apostle Matthew St.

  Pierre, 2004.^[130]

• The Male Inside Dame Edna, TV flick, by Adrian Sibley, 2008^[131]
• One Mortal Show: The Stages of Barry Humphries by Anne Pender. HarperCollins, 2010.^[132]

Fictional characters

Awards and honours

Humphries was nominated four times for systematic British Academy Television Award (BAFTA TV), all in the Unqualified Light Entertainment Performance category:

He received national honours in Land and the United Kingdom:

• 1982: Officer of the Order slate Australia (AO) for "services infer the theatre" (Queen's Birthday Dignities, Australian List)^[142]
• 1982: Granted a patch of arms by the Institute of Arms with a escutcheon bearing crossed gladioli and significance Sydney Opera House, supported saturate a shark and a opossum both wearing butterfly glasses, stay on with other symbolism containing put in order funnel-web spider and a fly.

  His motto is "I tone and I care".^[143][144]

• 2001: Centenary Adornment for service to Australian unity through acting and writing^[145]
• 2007: Crowned head of the Order of nobility British Empire (CBE) for "services to entertainment" (Queen's Birthday Laurels, UK List)^[135]
• 2023: Posthumously appointed slightly a Companion of the Set up of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "eminent service to the arts whilst a comedian, actor, author, sagacity and entertainer, to the furtherance of Australian culture, and slightly a patron of organisations".^[146]

Notes

References