Dame Edna takes a final bow

Renowned Australian comedian, satirist, and drag artist has passed away at age 89.

Best known for his character Dame Edna Everage, Humphries died at St Vincent’s Hospital on Saturday April 22 due to complications from a previous hip replacement. He spent his last moments surrounded by immediate family, including his wife, children and 10 grandchildren.

Humphries was cherished by fellow Australian comedians in the industry and praised by fans for his witty acts.

Born in 1934 in Victoria, and raised in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell, Humphries briefly studied at the University of Melbourne before leaving to pursue a career in acting.

In 1953, he made his first theatrical debut at the Union Theatre in Melbourne and soon after started touring with the newly established Melbourne Theatre Company. He debuted in London in 1959 and later appeared in a production of Oliver! and other one-man stage performances.

Humphries’ character Edna Everage was created in 1955 for a skit performance. She is a middle-class housewife and Humphries performed her to satirise his mother’s generation. Ms Everage started performing shows in small venues across local Melbourne suburbs. Humphries then relocated to Sydney and performed as Edna for Phillip Street Theatre, specialising in satirical comedy.

Establishing her name in the industry by starring in various films, magazines and drawn comic strips, Edna Everage became an international sensation by the 1970s. She was formally recognised as “Dame” Edna by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1974. 

Dame Edna toured internationally across London and the United States, and performed back at home in Australia. In addition to stage performances, Edna thrived on comedy television specials, including A Night with Dame Edna(1979), An Evening’s Intercourse with Dame Edna (1982), The Dame Edna Experience (1987), and Dame Edna Kisses it Better (1997).

Another prominent character created by Barry Humphries for his famous one-man shows was Sir Les Patterson. Humphries’ secondary character was a vulgar and drunk Australian politician, performed as an opposite character to Edna.

Humphries has performed alongside well-known figures, including Australian actor Barry Crocker. Together, Humphries and Crocker starred in the 1972 film series The Adventures of Barry Mckenzie, based on a previous magazine comic strip created by Humphries. The comic was titled Private Eye, and followed the adventures of character Barry Mckenzie, satirising the behaviour of Australian backpackers abroad. The comic and film series were heavily criticised by viewers and the original magazine was banned in Australia.

Humphries also received criticism when appearing as Dame Edna on The Joan Rivers Show and alongside King Charles III. Critics have deemed Humphries’ work as misogynistic due to most of his performances making a mockery of his mother. Despite negative reactions to various performances, Dame Edna remained one of the most prominent figures in the world of entertainment.

Unfortunately, Humphries has vocalised his conservative views in recent years that do not align with current political stances. Australian comedian, Hannah Gadsby openly rebuked Humphries for negative comments against the transgender community. The controversy resulted in Humphries’ name being removed from the 2019 award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

In light of Humphrie’s passing, the Victorian state is looking for appropriate ways to honour the comedian. The Victorian Government has not yet confirmed whether the iconic star will receive a state funeral.

Vale Barry Humphries