Through a career spanning seven decades, Barry Humphries emerged as a creative genius and one of the world’s greatest comics.
, and a star of stage and screen, died on Saturday at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital after complications from hip surgery. He was 89.
His most enduring impact was as creator of characters such as Dame Edna Everage, perennially inebriated cultural attaché Sir Les Patterson, “returned gentleman” Sandy Stone, underground film-maker Martin Agrippa, sleazy union official Lance Boyle and grant-dependent author Roger Grantworthy.A complex figure, he was politically conservative but an uproarious satirist of the so-called great and the good; and a global superstar who spent many of his final years in Australia.
He attended Melbourne University and further developed his gift for satire. Leaving university after just two years, Humphries kicked around Melbourne and Sydney theatre for a few years.Meanwhile, his penchant for real-life satire developed. One Humphries favourite was to have fellow thespian Peter O’Shaughnessy climb aboard a No.
In 1970, Humphries returned to Australia, where Edna Everage made her movie debut in John B. Murray’s. In 1971-72, he teamed up with producer Phillip Adams, writer-director Bruce Beresford and singer-actor Barry Crocker to createPrime minister Gough Whitlam stars as himself in a scene being shot at Sydney Airport for the next Barry McKenzie film on 20 April 1974.But his forte remained satirical stage revues, in which Humphries appeared as Edna Everage, Les Patterson and Sandy Stone.
Humphries’ one-man shows were gruelling, 2½-hour performances. They alternated satirical monologues and musical numbers, and consisted of original material laced with ad-libbing, improvisation and audience participation.
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