Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage is a satirical stage persona created and performed by Australian entertainer Barry Humphries from its debut in 1955 until Humphries' death in 2023.[1][2] Conceived initially as a dowdy Melbourne housewife parodying suburban insularity and complacency, the character evolved into a flamboyant, self-aggrandizing celebrity figure distinguished by her lilac bouffant wig, oversized spectacles, floral gowns, and signature wielding of gladioli.[1][3][4]
Through Humphries' solo stage shows, television specials, and Broadway appearances, Dame Edna became renowned for her acerbic wit, invasive audience participation, and commentary on celebrity culture and social pretensions, captivating audiences in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States over six decades.[2][5] Key milestones include the long-running "An Audience with Dame Edna Everage" format, multiple Emmy-nominated TV programs, and a 2000 Special Tony Award for the Broadway production Dame Edna: The Royal Tour.[6] Humphries, who received Australia's highest civilian honor posthumously in 2023 for his contributions to the arts as the character's originator, ensured Dame Edna's enduring legacy as a vehicle for unsparing satire unbound by contemporary sensitivities.[7][8]
Origins and Creation
Invention by Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries, an Australian comedian and satirist born on February 17, 1934, invented the character of Dame Edna Everage in 1955 while he was a 21-year-old art student at the University of Melbourne.[9] The creation stemmed from Humphries' intent to mock the pretensions and suburban conformity of Melbourne's middle-class housewives, drawing from observations of local mores during a period of post-war cultural conservatism in Australia.[9] Initially conceived as Mrs. Norm Everage—a dowdy, gossipy housewife from the fictional suburb of Moonee Ponds—the character embodied exaggerated domestic pride and oblivious snobbery, reflecting Humphries' broader critique of provincialism.[10] The idea crystallized during Humphries' time with a touring Union Theatre repertory company, where, aboard a bus, he envisioned a persona that lampooned everyday banality through over-the-top politeness and unwitting vulgarity.[2] Edna's debut occurred on December 19, 1955, in the University of Melbourne's student revue Return Fare at the Union Theatre, where Humphries first performed her in a sketch portraying an Olympic Games hostess ahead of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.[10] [11] This initial outing featured rudimentary elements of her signature style, including oversized glasses inspired by Melbourne eccentric Stephanie Deste, though the full flamboyant persona would develop later.[9] Humphries portrayed Edna through female impersonation, a technique rooted in British music hall traditions but adapted to Australian satire, allowing him to subvert gender norms without overt drag aesthetics at the outset.[12] The character's invention marked an early milestone in Humphries' career, which had begun with controversial Dadaist pranks like the 1953 "shit in a suitcase" incident at an exhibition, signaling his penchant for provocation.[9] From this humble, one-off sketch, Edna evolved into a vehicle for Humphries' enduring commentary on celebrity, class, and cultural cringe, though her origins remained firmly tied to 1950s Melbourne suburbia.[13]Early Development and Evolution
Mrs. Norm Everage, the precursor to Dame Edna, first appeared on stage on December 19, 1955, in the sketch "Olympic Hostess" during the University of Melbourne's revue Return Fare, portraying a demure suburban housewife from Moonee Ponds who offered her home as accommodation for visitors to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.[10][14] The character drew inspiration from representatives of the Country Women's Association and Humphries' observations of conservative Melbourne matrons, embodying a shy, mousy figure with minimal makeup, ill-fitting clothes, and a focus on petty suburban complaints.[10][13] In subsequent Australian performances through the late 1950s, including revues and cabaret acts, the persona remained rooted in satire of post-war Australian domesticity, with Everage depicted as an "average" housewife married to Norm, complete with exaggerated accents and mannerisms mocking cultural parochialism.[13] Humphries refined the act during travels and after relocating to London in 1959, where early outings at venues like the Establishment Club met mixed reception, prompting adjustments to heighten her oblivious self-regard and resilience against audience heckling.[10] By the mid-1960s, as Humphries integrated Everage into one-man shows and international tours, the character shed some initial drabness for subtle enhancements—such as tentative lavender rinses and rouge—while developing a richer backstory, including a birthplace in Wagga Wagga and fictional offspring like Lois, abducted by a "rogue koala."[13][10] This period marked a shift from purely local caricature to a more boisterous, celebrity-aspirant archetype, foreshadowing her 1970s transformation into a flamboyant "housewife superstar" with signature lilac bouffant wigs, diamante spectacles, and gladioli props.[10] The evolution reflected Humphries' adaptation to global audiences, amplifying Everage's monstrous egotism to critique consumerist vanity and performative fame.[13]Character Profile
Appearance and Persona
Dame Edna Everage's appearance features a voluminous lilac or wisteria-colored wig, oversized cat-eye spectacles described as "face furniture," and flamboyant, often floral-printed gowns that emphasize her garish, bedazzled style.[15][16][17] The character's visual evolution began modestly in 1955 as a mousy, ill-dressed Melbourne housewife with minimal makeup, progressing to extravagant ensembles by the 1960s and 1970s as her fictional fame grew.[13][18] Her persona is that of a larger-than-life, eccentric Australian woman from suburban Melbourne, marked by brash confidence, razor-sharp wit, and a penchant for impertinent audience interaction.[19][20] She greets crowds with the signature phrase "Hello, possums!" delivered in a broad Australian accent, treating spectators as confidants in one-sided conversations filled with boasts about celebrity encounters and unsolicited opinions.[16][21] This self-absorbed demeanor portrays a provincial figure elevated to self-proclaimed stardom, blending gossipy familiarity with oblivious rudeness.[22][19]Satirical Elements and Targets
Dame Edna Everage's satire originated as a caricature of the post-war Australian suburban housewife, embodying the complacency, insularity, and mild xenophobia Humphries observed in Melbourne's Moonee Ponds district during the 1950s.[2] The character's early incarnation mocked the pretentious aspirations and sheltered domesticity of middle-class women, exaggerating their parochial attitudes toward foreigners and cultural outsiders through politically incorrect asides delivered in a shrill, nasal tone.[2][19] This foundation drew from Humphries' firsthand experiences in suburban Australia, where Edna's "housewife superstar" persona highlighted the absurdity of mundane lives inflated with self-importance.[23] As the character evolved through international tours and media appearances from the 1960s onward, Edna's targets expanded to encompass celebrity culture, ego-driven fame, and the pretensions of high society. Humphries transformed her from a symbol of suburban banality into a monstrous emblem of stardom's excesses, where Edna's relentless self-promotion and disdain for underlings satirized the performative narcissism of entertainers and social climbers.[24][23] Her interactive routines, such as publicly ribbing audience members by name and offering unsolicited "advice" on personal failings, parodied the entitlement of the famous while exposing the vulnerabilities of ordinary people seeking validation.[24] Key satirical elements included Edna's signature oversized glasses, which served as a literal and figurative barrier enabling her to "peer" judgmentally at the world, and her catchphrases like "possums" (an affectionate yet condescending term for fans), underscoring the patronizing superiority of the self-anointed elite.[24] Later iterations targeted cultural snobbery and the commodification of identity, with Edna's feigned expertise on art, fashion, and global affairs lampooning the superficiality of those who mistake notoriety for wisdom.[25] Humphries maintained that these elements critiqued the human propensity for delusion over genuine self-awareness, evolving Edna into a vehicle for broader commentary on fame's corrosive effects rather than mere regional parody.[23]Performance Career
Stage Shows
Dame Edna Everage made her stage debut on December 13, 1955, in the Union Theatre Repertory Company revue Return Fare in Melbourne, portraying an Olympic hostess in a sketch amid Humphries' early comedic sketches.[26][27] Early appearances were confined to Australian revues, including her first starring role in Prospects for Melbourne's Opera House, where the character began to satirize suburban pretensions.[28] These initial outings established Edna as a vehicle for Humphries' observations on Australian middle-class mores, with performances touring Victorian towns and Sydney revues through the late 1950s.[9] The character's international stage career commenced in 1968 with Just a Show at London's Fortune Theatre, marking Humphries' West End debut as Edna, though reception was mixed.[29] Breakthrough came in 1976 with Housewife, Superstar!, a solo show at London's Prince of Wales Theatre that propelled Edna to global recognition through audience interaction and monologues on celebrity delusions.[9] Subsequent UK productions included A Night with Dame Edna (1978–1979) at the Piccadilly Theatre, earning Humphries the Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance, and Back with a Vengeance, the Second Coming (1989) at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which ran for 180 performances.[30][31] Edna's Broadway debut occurred in Dame Edna: The Royal Tour (1999–2000) at the Booth Theatre, opening October 17, 1999, and closing July 2, 2000, after 309 performances, featuring Edna's signature "possum" audience plants and critiques of American excess.[32][33] The show earned Humphries a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.[34] A sequel, Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance, followed in 2004 at the Music Box Theatre, previewing August and running through early 2005, with pre-Broadway engagements in San Francisco.[35] Later tours emphasized farewell motifs, including Edna, The Spectacle (1998) at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket and extensive North American and UK runs in the 2010s.[9] The 2015 Dame Edna's Glorious Goodbye: The Farewell Tour spanned multiple continents, concluding in Washington, D.C., after Humphries announced Edna's retirement in 2012 before reversing it.[36] Throughout, stage shows relied on Edna's direct address, glamorous attire, and improvised heckling, amassing millions in attendance across decades of touring.[26]Television and Film Appearances
Dame Edna Everage first appeared on film in the 1970 Australian pseudo-documentary The Naked Bunyip, directed by John B. Murray, where Humphries portrayed the character as Mrs. Norm Everage in an interview segment addressing suburban attitudes toward sex.[37] The film blended factual surveys with fictional elements to explore Australian sexual mores, featuring Edna's early incarnation as a prim Melbourne housewife.[38] In 1978, Edna made a cameo appearance in the musical film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, credited as one of "Our Guests at Heartland" during a sequence involving the Bee Gees.[39] Her role was brief and non-musical, aligning with the character's satirical celebrity interactions. A later film cameo occurred in 2016's Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, where Edna featured in a silent background role alongside Humphries' other characters.[40] Edna's television presence expanded through specials and series in the UK and US, emphasizing her format of interrogating celebrity guests with abrasive humor. The 1980 ITV special An Audience with Dame Edna Everage showcased her engaging a live audience and performers in interactive mockery.[41] This led to The Dame Edna Experience (1987–1989), an ITV comedy talk show running 12 regular episodes from 12 September 1987, plus two Christmas specials concluding 22 December 1989; episodes typically involved Edna's mansion set, with guests like Charlton Heston subjected to her posh Australian candor.[42] The character's US breakthrough came with Dame Edna's Hollywood (1991–1993), a Fox talk show pilot and episodes filmed from a Bel Air mansion, featuring guests including Cher, Bea Arthur, and Mel Gibson in Edna's signature confrontational interviews.[43] Later specials included The Dame Edna Treatment (2007) on ITV, where Edna dispensed mock-therapeutic advice to celebrities, and Dame Edna Rules the Waves (2019), a performative overview of her career.[44] Guest spots, such as on Saturday Night Live on 8 October 1977, further highlighted her transatlantic appeal through sketch-based satire.[45]Recorded Works
Albums
Dame Edna Everage's albums primarily consist of live recordings of her satirical stage shows, comedic song medleys, and narrated classical works, often blending monologue with musical elements performed in character.[46]| Title | Release Year | Label | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housewife Superstar | 1976 | Charisma | LP | Stand-up comedy routines satirizing suburban life and celebrity, recorded as part of the stage show Housewife Superstar!.[47] |
| The Last Night of the Poms | 1981 | EMI | Double LP | Live recording from the Royal Albert Hall performance with the London Symphony Orchestra, featuring orchestral overtures and comedic sketches on British-Australian relations.[48][49] |
| The Dame Edna Party Experience | 1989 | Epic | LP, CD | Medley of pop covers and party anthems including "Bad," "I Should Be So Lucky," and "The Locomotion," performed with satirical twists and guest vocals from Sir Les Patterson.[50] |
| Peter and the Wolf | 1997 | Naxos (or similar classical label) | CD | Narration of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, recorded in Melbourne with the State Orchestra of Victoria, delivering the story in Edna's distinctive style.[51] |
| Color Me Edna: Songs of Co-Dependency | 2000 | Tamarin | CD | Covers of popular songs such as "You're So Vain" and "Send in the Clowns," reinterpreted through themes of relational satire and co-dependency.[52][53] |
Singles
Dame Edna Everage released three notable novelty singles, each embodying the character's bombastic and satirical take on contemporary music trends and celebrity culture. These recordings, performed by Barry Humphries in character, blended comedy with parody, often targeting suburban pretensions and pop phenomena.[46] The debut single, "Every Mother Wants a Boy Like Elton" backed with "S & M Lady" (credited in part to Edna Evil and the Ratbags on the B-side), appeared in 1978 on Charisma Records (catalogue 6079 465). The A-side humorously lionized Elton John as an ideal son, while the punk-inflected B-side lampooned sado-masochistic fashion fads.[54][55] In 1979, "Disco Matilda" was issued by Big Time Records (BZS 312 in Australia; Charisma CB 336 in the UK), featuring an instrumental version on the B-side by the Everage White Band. This disco-infused track, with Aboriginal-themed lyrics, satirized dance crazes and reached number 46 on Australia's Kent Music Report chart in August.[56][57] The final single, "Theme from Neighbours" backed with "Spooky Christmas," emerged in 1988 on Epic Records (EDNA1), offering a comedic rendition of the Australian soap opera's theme alongside a holiday novelty. It entered the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 83 over three weeks.[58][59]| Year | Title | B-side | Label (Key Release) | Peak Chart Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Every Mother Wants a Boy Like Elton | S & M Lady | Charisma (6079 465) | None reported |
| 1979 | Disco Matilda | Disco Matilda (Instrumental) | Big Time (BZS 312) | AUS 46 |
| 1988 | Theme from Neighbours | Spooky Christmas | Epic (EDNA1) | UK 83 |