66-702: Sir Leslie Colin Patterson is a fictional character created and portrayed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries . Patterson is obese, lecherous and offensive. By Humphries' own account, the character of Patterson first appeared in a one-man show that he performed at the St. George leagues club in Sydney in January 1974. Appearing in the guise of the boorish, loud-mouthed and uncultured Patterson, Humphries claimed to be that club's own entertainments officer as he introduced
132-657: A "five-day crash course in World Culture" at the University of Sydney . Only a few years later, he would receive an honorary doctorate in Australian Studies. Although Father Gerard Patterson noted that he and Les had "drifted apart" after he had entered the priesthood, he would later officiate at his brother's wedding to Gwenneth Lorraine Dolan, a former hand model . She was a film buff who enjoyed Disney films and, by Sir Les' own account, they had met at
198-442: A 2005 CV). Over a career of more than four decades, Sir Les Patterson held numerous positions in the public and private sector, including the following: From the 1970s onwards, Barry Humphries released a number of books and recordings under the guise of Sir Les Patterson. Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries AC CBE (17 February 1934 – 22 April 2023) was an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He
264-585: A Show , staged at London's Fortune Theatre in 1969. It polarised the critics but was a hit with audiences and became the basis of a growing cult following in the UK. He further developed the character of Edna Everage in his early-1970s' shows, including A Load of Olde Stuffe (1971) and At Least You Can Say You've Seen It (1974–75). He finally broke through to widespread critical and audience acclaim in Britain with his 1976 London production Housewife, Superstar! at
330-485: A brother named Gerard, who became a clergyman and later served as an Advisor on Religious Affairs to the Lord Howe Island Chamber of Commerce. In a brief memoir published in 2006, Father Gerard Patterson described his brother Les as "the archetypical Australian scallywag", who had been their mother's favourite. Father Patterson further recalled that his brother had a "rough and ready education". Through
396-601: A cameo as Edna in the Robert Stigwood musical film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band , followed in 1981 by his part as the fake-blind TV-show host Bert Schnick in Shock Treatment , the sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show . Humphries was more successful with his featured role as Richard Deane in Dr. Fischer of Geneva (1985); this was followed by Howling III (1987), a cameo as Rupert Murdoch in
462-454: A character similar to Edna in the back of a bus while touring country Victoria with Twelfth Night with the MTC at the age of 20. He credited his then mentor, Peter O'Shaughnessy , stating that, without his "nurturing and promotion, the character of Edna Everage would have been nipped in the bud after 1956 and never come to flower, while the character of Sandy Stone would never have taken shape as
528-471: A collection of photographs about English actress Gwendoline Christie . Bunny also features a fairy-tale written by Will Self and a poem by Nick Cave . Smudge (2011) features abstract depictions of three of her friends she uses as models; musician Nick Cave, photographer Mark Vessey and fashion designer Sherald Lambden. All three appear half naked, faces obscured, wearing body stockings, tights, wigs, and other fanciful objects of clothing. In February 2013
594-562: A film version of the Barry McKenzie cartoons. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie starred singer Barry Crocker in the title role and featured Humphries—who co-wrote the script with Beresford—playing three different parts. It was filmed in England and Australia with an all-star cast including Spike Milligan, Peter Cook, Dennis Price , Dick Bentley , Willie Rushton , Julie Covington , Clive James and broadcaster Joan Bakewell . It
660-469: A friend of and was photographed by leading photographer Lewis Morley , whose studio was located above the club. Humphries contributed to the satirical magazine Private Eye , of which Cook was publisher, his best-known work being the cartoon strip The Wonderful World of Barry McKenzie . The bawdy cartoon satire of the worst aspects of Australians abroad was written by Humphries and drawn by New Zealand-born cartoonist Nicholas Garland . The book version of
726-403: A half hours long, alternated satirical monologues and musical numbers and consisted of entirely original material, laced with ad-libbing, improvisation and audience participation segments. Humphries mostly performed solo, but he was occasionally joined on stage by supporting dancers and an accompanist during the musical numbers. Only one actor ever regularly shared the stage with Humphries, and this
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#1732791002683792-523: A matinée screening of Fantasia . They subsequently had two children, Karen and Craig. Members of the Patterson family have occasionally assisted Sir Les in his business ventures. When he founded the Thursday Island Film Commission in 1978, his wife Lady Gwenneth was appointed as director, his daughter Karen as secretary, and his sister Lois as creative liaison co-ordinator. According to Father Gerard Patterson, Karen later took
858-725: A memorable image of Sir Les Patterson (seated on a toilet, waving an Australian flag) as part of a series entitled Australians , which was exhibited at the respective National Portrait Galleries in London (2000) and Canberra (2001). In 2000, a portrait of Humphries as Patterson by painter Bill Leak won the Packing Room Prize at the Archibald Prize . In 2014, Tim Storrier 's full-length painting, The Member, Dr Sir Leslie Colin Patterson KCB AO , also won
924-540: A one-off, Humphries decided to revive "Olympic Hostess" for Phillip Street and its success helped to launch what became a fifty-year career for the self-proclaimed "Housewife Superstar" (later Megastar, then Gigastar). The next Phillip Street revue was Around the Loop , which again teamed Oldaker, Gordon Chater , Blacklock and Humphries, plus newcomer June Salter . Humphries revived the Edna character (for what he said would be
990-639: A portrait photographer, contributing to the Australian edition of Vogue . In 1989, she moved to the United Kingdom where she specialized in stylized portraits and reportage photography. Her work has been featured in newspapers and magazines worldwide. A number of books on her work and exhibitions have been published. In 2001, her first series The Babies examined the way men can enjoy dressing up as infants, with an essay by Susan Sontag, an introduction by Mark Holborn. In 2008, she produced Bunny ,
1056-629: A position at Our Lady of Dolours School for Ridiculously Slow Learners, in South Sydney, while her brother Craig was employed for the Australian Wheat Board , where, in 2008, his work had "recently attracted unfair publicity ". In various published sources, Les Patterson listed his hobbies as " pocket billiards and sauna construction in Thailand" (according to a 1995 programme bio) and "wine tasting and infidelity" (according to
1122-496: A presence on the stage". In 1957, Humphries moved to Sydney and joined Sydney's Phillip Street Theatre , which became Australia's leading venue for revue and satirical comedy over the next decade. His first appearance at Phillip Street was in the satirical revue Two to One , starring veteran Australian musical star Max Oldaker, with a cast including Humphries and future Number 96 star Wendy Blacklock . Although he had originally assumed Edna's debut Melbourne appearance would be
1188-776: A satire of stardom: a gaudily dressed, acid-tongued, egomaniacal, internationally fêted "housewife gigastar". His other satirical characters included the "priapic and inebriated cultural attaché" Sir Les Patterson, who "continued to bring worldwide discredit upon Australian arts and culture, while contributing as much to the Australian vernacular as he has borrowed from it"; gentle, grandfatherly "returned gentleman" Sandy Stone ; iconoclastic 1960s' underground film-maker Martin Agrippa; Paddington socialist academic Neil Singleton; sleazy trade-union official Lance Boyle; high-pressure art salesman Morrie O'Connor; failed tycoon Owen Steele; and archetypal Australian bloke Barry McKenzie . Humphries
1254-662: A series of three chat-show specials filmed in the U.S. for the NBC and the Fox network . Like The Dame Edna Experience , these included an array of top celebrity guests such as Burt Reynolds , Cher , Bea Arthur , Kim Basinger and Barry Manilow . Edna's most recent television special was Dame Edna Live at the Palace in 2003. He starred in the Kath & Kim telemovie Da Kath & Kim Code in late 2005. In 1977, Dame Edna guest-starred on
1320-565: A spoon with a sheep's eye. Humphries had written and performed songs and sketches in university revues, so after leaving university he joined the newly formed Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC). It was at this point that he created the first incarnation of what became his best-known character, Edna Everage . The first stage sketch to feature Mrs. Norm Everage, called "Olympic Hostess", premiered at Melbourne University's Union Theatre on 13 December 1955. In his award-winning autobiography, More Please (1992), Humphries related that he had created
1386-619: Is an Australian photographer who formerly resided in England from 1989 to 2011, and now lives in Los Angeles, United States. She is known both for her editorial portraits and for her work as a photographic artist. Borland was born in Melbourne where her father gave her a camera with Nikkor lenses when she was 16. She graduated from Prahran College in 1983, where she discovered Diane Arbus , Weegee and, Larry Clark , all of whom influenced her work. On leaving art school, she became
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#17327910026831452-613: The Apollo Theatre . Its success in Britain and Australia led Humphries to try his luck with the show in New York City in 1977 at the off-Broadway Theatre Four (now called the Julia Miles Theatre), but it proved to be a disastrous repeat of his experience with Just a Show . Humphries later summed up his negative reception by saying: "When The New York Times tells you to close, you close." His next show
1518-831: The EP Wild Life in Suburbia , which featured liner notes by his friend, the Modernist architect and writer Robin Boyd . In 1959, Humphries moved to London, where he lived and worked throughout the 1960s. He became a friend of leading members of the British comedy scene including Dudley Moore , Peter Cook , Alan Bennett , Jonathan Miller , Spike Milligan , Willie Rushton and fellow Australian expatriate comedian-actors John Bluthal and Dick Bentley . Humphries performed at Cook's comedy venue The Establishment , where he became
1584-714: The London Palladium . In 1967, his friendship with Cook and Moore led to his first film role, a cameo as "Envy" in the film Bedazzled , starring Cook and Moore, with Eleanor Bron and directed by Stanley Donen . The following year, he appeared in The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom , with Shirley MacLaine . Humphries contributed to BBC Television 's The Late Show (1966–67), but Humphries found his true calling with his one-man satirical stage revues, in which he performed as Edna Everage and other character creations including Sandy Stone. A Nice Night's Entertainment (1962)
1650-649: The Mermaid Theatre and was transferring to the West End . Humphries performed with Milligan in the 1968 production of Treasure Island in the role of Long John Silver . He described working with Milligan as "one of the strangest and most exhilarating experiences of my career". In 1961, when Humphries was in Cornwall with his wife, he fell over a cliff near Zennor and landed on a ledge 50 m (150 ft) below, breaking bones. The rescue by helicopter
1716-712: The Samuel Beckett play at the Arrow Theatre in Melbourne directed by Peter O'Shaughnessy who played Vladimir. In 1958, Humphries and O'Shaughnessy collaborated on and appeared in the Rock'n'Reel Revue at the New Theatre in Melbourne, where Humphries brought the characters of Mrs Everage and Sandy Stone into the psyche of Melbourne audiences. In the same year, Humphries made his first commercial recording,
1782-523: The Scottish National Portrait Gallery , Edinburgh; The Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane; MONA, Tasmania, and the N.S.W. Gallery of Art. Borland's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II , was commissioned by Buckingham Palace to commemorate her golden jubilee in 2002, is unusual for its brightness and its intimate proximity to Her Majesty. It was exhibited at London's National Portrait Gallery and at Windsor Castle . Her work
1848-625: The University of Melbourne , where he studied law, philosophy and fine arts. During this time, he was a private in the Melbourne University Regiment , serving a period of national service in the Citizens Military Force of the Australian Army . He did not graduate from university (although he would receive an honorary doctorate almost 50 years later). During this time he became a follower of
1914-503: The platypus , a beloved and protected species in Australia. He was part of a group that made a series of Dada-influenced recordings in Melbourne from 1952 to 1953. "Wubbo Music" (Humphries said that "wubbo" is a pseudo-Aboriginal word meaning "nothing") is thought to be one of the earliest recordings of experimental music in Australia. Other exhibits the group mounted include "Creche Bang", a pram covered in meat and "Eye and Spoon Race",
1980-413: The 2014 "Dead Point" episode. In 2000 Humphries took his Dame Edna: The Royal Tour show to North America winning the inaugural Special Tony Award for a Live Theatrical Event in 2000 and won two National Broadway Theatre Awards for "Best Play" and for "Best Actor" in 2001. Asked by an Australian journalist what it was like to win a Tony Award , he said "it was like winning a thousand Gold Logies at
2046-521: The Australian diplomatic corps, and took him to their hearts." Patterson went on to play an even larger role in Humphries' next one-man show in London, Housewife, Superstar! (1976), delivering a lengthy monologue that was included on the original cast album. Humphries (who gave up alcohol in the 1970s) said in 2016 that "in Les I can release my alcoholism". He found that of all his characters Sir Les caused
Sir Les Patterson - Misplaced Pages Continue
2112-690: The Packing Room Prize. Sir Leslie Colin Patterson KBE , AO , was born on 1 April 1942, in Taren Point , Southern Sydney. In later life, he claimed descent from a certain Ebenezer Patterson, who had been sent to Australia as a convict in the nineteenth century. Little is known of Patterson's present-day family beyond from the fact that he has a sister whose name is either Lois or Noreen (sources differ) and
2178-458: The U.S. sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live . In 2007, Humphries returned to the UK's ITV to host another comedy chat show called The Dame Edna Treatment , a similar format to The Dame Edna Experience from 20 years earlier. The series once again had a collection of high-profile celebrity guests, such as Tim Allen , Mischa Barton , Sigourney Weaver , Debbie Harry , and Shirley Bassey . In March 2008, Humphries joined
2244-651: The World , directed by George T. Miller of Man From Snowy River fame and co-written by Humphries with his third wife, Diane Millstead. In 2003, Humphries voiced the shark Bruce in the Pixar animated film Finding Nemo , using an exaggerated baritone Australian accent. During 2011, Humphries travelled to New Zealand to perform the role of the Great Goblin in the first instalment of Peter Jackson 's three-part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Hobbit . At
2310-625: The comic strip, published in the late 1960s, was for some time banned by the Australian government because it "relied on indecency for its humour". Humphries appeared in numerous West End stage productions including the musicals Oliver! and Maggie May , by Lionel Bart , and in stage and radio productions by his friend Spike Milligan. At one time, he was invited to play the leading role of Captain Martin Bules in The Bedsitting Room , which had already opened successfully at
2376-451: The deconstructive and absurdist art movement, Dada . The Dadaist pranks and performances that he mounted in Melbourne were experiments in anarchy and visual satire that have become part of Australian folklore. An exhibit entitled "Puss in Boots" consisted of a pair of Wellington boots filled with custard; a mock pesticide product called "Platytox" claimed on its box to be effective against
2442-511: The degree to Sir Les. The Cambridge Union is not chartered as a degree awarding body . In 1986, Humphries as Patterson was awarded the Douglas Wilkie Medal for doing the least for football in the best and fairest manner. His dislike for the game of Australian rules football was illustrated when he coated a leather football in cream cake, and fed it to a camel. In 1999, expatriate Australian photographer Polly Borland created
2508-715: The documentary Polly Borland - Polymorphous was released. Borland was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2002. Polly Borland and her husband, director John Hillcoat , live in Los Angeles , California. Borland's work has also been exhibited at the Australian Centre for Photography , Sydney; The Auckland Triennial, Auckland; GASK, Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic;
2574-759: The following: During the Australian tour of Remember You're Out! (1999), it was stated that Patterson would not appear for fear of offending Humphries' more genteel fans; the character nevertheless made an appearance (as a scripted but seemingly unexpected gate crashing ) during the show's second act. In an effort to specifically satisfy fans of Les Patterson's earthy humour, Humphries performed two one-man shows entirely in Patterson's guise: one in London, entitled Les Patterson Rampant in Whitehall (June–July 1996) and another in New York, entitled Les Patterson Unzipped (Zipper Theater, 2 May 2005). The London performance
2640-503: The influence of their uncle Leo, both brothers were sent to Melbourne to attend the prestigious Xavier College , although Les remained there for only 1½ terms. Returning to Sydney, he attended Our Lady of Dolours' Boys School and completed his Intermediate Certificate at Parramatta High School . Patterson commenced tertiary study at the Kogarah TAFE . Prior to his appointment as Cultural Attaché, he completed what he described as
2706-454: The judging panel on the BBC talent show I'd Do Anything to find an unknown lead to play the part of Nancy in a West End revival of the musical Oliver! . In May 2013, Australia's ABC Network announced that Humphries would be joining the cast of the Australian telemovie series, Jack Irish , playing a high-profile judge in the third movie in the series. He appeared as Justice Loder in
Sir Les Patterson - Misplaced Pages Continue
2772-560: The last time) and the revue proved to be a major hit, playing eight shows a week for 14 months. During this period Humphries was living near Bondi and while out walking one day he had a chance meeting with an elderly man who had a high, scratchy voice and a pedantic manner of speech; this encounter inspired the creation of another of Humphries's most enduring characters, Sandy Stone . In September 1957, Humphries appeared as Estragon in Waiting for Godot , in Australia's first production of
2838-488: The late 1960s, Humphries appeared in numerous films, mostly 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 Bruce Beresford's Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974), in which Edna was made a dame by then Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam . His other film credits included Side by Side (1975) and The Getting of Wisdom (1977). The same year, he had
2904-967: The miniseries Selling Hitler (1991) with Alexei Sayle , a three-role cameo in Philippe Mora 's horror satire Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills (1995), the role of Count Metternich in Immortal Beloved (1994), as well as roles in The Leading Man (1996), the Spice Girls ' film Spice World , the Australian feature Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), and Nicholas Nickleby (2002), in which he donned female garb to play Nathan Lane 's wife. Humphries featured in various roles in comedy performance films including The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1982) and A Night of Comic Relief 2 (1989). In 1987, he starred as Les Patterson in one of his own rare flops, Les Patterson Saves
2970-524: The most offence Down Under, as Australians are "deeply conventional" and "like being bossed around". For more than 30 years, the character of Sir Les Patterson was a regular feature in Barry Humphries' solo theatrical appearances in Australia and the United Kingdom, during which he performed a monologue and frequently burst into song. Some of Patterson's specific monologues (as documented in the theatre programmes for Humphries' various shows) included
3036-681: The most significant comedian to emerge since Charlie Chaplin ". Humphries's numerous television appearances in Australia, the UK and the U.S. included The Bunyip , a children's comedy for the Seven Network in Melbourne. In the UK, he made two highly successful series of his comedy talk show The Dame Edna Experience for London Weekend Television . The series featured a variety of famous guests, including Liza Minnelli , Sean Connery , Roger Moore , Dusty Springfield , Charlton Heston , Lauren Bacall , and Jane Seymour . These highly popular programmes have since been repeated worldwide, and
3102-744: The next act, Dame Edna Everage. As Humphries recalled, "I understood later that many members of the audience thought Les was genuinely a club official, which says a lot for his charm and sincerity". Later that same year, the character (by now identified as Australia's cultural attaché to the Far East) was revived in a two-week cabaret appearance that Humphries performed at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong. In Humphries' words, "The English merchant bankers and commodity brokers and Australian accountants there all recognised Les as someone they knew in
3168-434: The pattern for his eventual stage career; his father in particular spent little time with him, and Humphries spent hours playing at dressing-up in the back garden. Disguising myself as different characters and I had a whole box of dressing up clothes ... Red Indian , sailor suit, Chinese costume and I was very spoiled in that way ... I also found that entertaining people gave me a great feeling of release, making people laugh
3234-482: The press conference in Wellington, New Zealand, just before the film's world premiere, Humphries commented: It was thrilling to work on this film and when you see my extraordinary interpretation you realise why I immediately fell into the arms of Jenny Craig , and minor cosmetic surgery. I always thought motion capture was something you did when you were taking a specimen at the doctor. In 2015, Humphries voiced
3300-840: The role of Wombo the Wombat in Blinky Bill the Movie . In 2016, he appeared in a dual role in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie as Charlie, a rich former lover of Patsy Stone , and in a nonspeaking cameo as Dame Edna. Humphries's forte was always his one-man satirical stage revues, in which he appeared as Edna Everage and other character creations, most commonly Les Patterson and Sandy Stone. The longevity of Dame Edna endured for more than sixty years, but, in 2012, he announced his retirement from live performance. Humphries's one-man shows, which were typically two and
3366-699: The role when the production moved to Broadway in 1963. However, the song "That's Your Funeral" was omitted from the RCA Victor original Broadway cast album, so Humphries is not heard at all on it. In 1967, he starred as Fagin in the Piccadilly Theatre 's revival of Oliver! , which featured a young Phil Collins as the Artful Dodger . In 1997, Humphries reprised the role of Fagin in Cameron Mackintosh 's award-winning revival at
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#17327910026833432-474: The same time". Dame Edna's new-found success in the United States led to many media opportunities, including a semi-regular role in the hit TV series Ally McBeal . Vanity Fair magazine invited Dame Edna to write a satirical advice column in 2003, although, after an outcry following a remark about learning Spanish , the column was discontinued. Polly Borland Polly Borland (born 1959)
3498-623: The special A Night on Mount Edna won Humphries the Golden Rose of Montreux in 1991. He wrote and starred in ABC-TV 's The Life and Death of Sandy Stone (1991), and presented the ABC social history series Barry Humphries' Flashbacks (1998). His other television shows and one-off specials include 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),
3564-691: Was Isn't It Pathetic at His Age (1978), and, like many of his shows, the title derives from the sarcastic remarks his mother often made when she took Humphries to the theatre to see superannuated overseas actors touring in Australia during his youth. His subsequent one-man shows included: He made numerous theatrical tours in Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and the Far and Middle East. In 2003, he toured Australia with his show Getting Back to My Roots (and Other Suckers) . For his delivery of Dadaist and absurdist humour to millions, his biographer Anne Pender described Humphries in 2010 as not only "the most significant theatrical figure of our time ... [but]
3630-417: Was a very good way of befriending them. People couldn't hit you if they were laughing. His parents nicknamed him "Sunny Sam", and his early childhood was happy and uneventful. However, in his teens, Humphries began to rebel against the strictures of conventional suburban life by becoming "artistic", much to the dismay of his parents, who, despite their affluence, distrusted "art". A key event took place when he
3696-430: Was almost unanimously panned by Australian film critics, but became a huge hit with audiences. The film became the first Australian feature film to make more than $ 1 million at the box office, paving the way for the success of subsequent locally made feature films such as Alvin Purple and Picnic at Hanging Rock . It has been argued that Humphries was the first "proper" movie star of the Australian movie revival and
3762-474: Was awarded a place in the school's gallery of achievement. As his father's building business prospered, Humphries was sent to Melbourne Grammar School , where he spurned sport, detested mathematics, shirked cadets "on the basis of conscientious objection" and matriculated with strong results in English and art. Humphries described this schooling, in a Who's Who entry, as "self-educated, attended Melbourne Grammar School". Humphries spent two years studying at
3828-417: Was best known for writing and playing his stage and television characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson . He appeared in numerous stage productions, films and television shows. Humphries's characters brought him international renown. Originally conceived as a dowdy Moonee Ponds housewife who caricatured Australian suburban complacency and insularity, the Dame Edna Everage character developed into
3894-542: Was born on 17 February 1934 in the suburb of Kew in Melbourne , Victoria, the son of Eric Humphries (né John Albert Eric Humphries) (1905–1972), a construction manager, and his wife Louisa Agnes (née Brown) (1907–1984). His grandfather John George Humphries was an emigrant to Australia from Manchester , England, in the late 1800s. His father was well-to-do, and Barry grew up in a "clean, tasteful, and modern suburban home" on Christowel Street, Camberwell , then one of Melbourne's new " garden suburbs ". His early home life set
3960-556: Was during the Edna segments: English actress Emily Perry played Edna's long-suffering bridesmaid from New Zealand, Madge Allsop , whose character never spoke. Humphries presented many successful shows in London, most of which he subsequently toured internationally. Although he eventually gained worldwide popularity, he encountered stiff resistance in the early years of his career: his first London one-man show, A Nice Night's Entertainment (1962), received scathing reviews. He gained considerable notoriety with his next one-man revue, Just
4026-470: Was filmed by a news crew from ITN . The footage of the rescue was shown to Humphries for the first time on a 2006 BBC show, Turn Back Time . Humphries's first major break on the British stage came when he was cast in the role of the undertaker Mr Sowerberry for the original 1960 London stage production of Oliver! He recorded Sowerberry's feature number "That's Your Funeral" for the original London cast album (released on Decca Records ) and reprised
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#17327910026834092-481: Was nine – his mother gave all of his books to the Salvation Army , cheerfully explaining: "But you've read them, Barry." Humphries responded by becoming a voracious reader, a collector of rare books, a painter, a theatre fan and a surrealist . Dressing in a black cloak, black homburg hat and mascaraed eyes, he invented his first sustained character, "Dr Aaron Azimuth", agent provocateur , dandy and Dadaist . Educated first at Camberwell Grammar School , Humphries
4158-603: Was recorded and has since been released both as an audio tape and a video tape, under the title Live and Rampant: Les Patterson has a Stand-Up . On television, Patterson presented a documentary about the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong , entitled Sir Les and the Great Chinese Takeaway (1997). He has appeared as a special guest on the following: Barry Humphries was interviewed in Patterson's guise on numerous TV talk shows, including Parkinson (1982), Clive James , Clive Anderson 's All Talk (1995), The Panel (2003) and Rove Live (2005). In 1987, Sir Les Patterson
4224-441: Was the basis of an ambitious full-length feature film, Les Patterson Saves the World , which was a critical and commercial failure. In 1983, the Cambridge Union Society held a spoof ceremony in which they purported to award Les Patterson an honorary Doctorate of Letters . This reportedly caused some anxiety amongst Cambridge dons, who were worried that the public might mistakenly believe that Cambridge University had awarded
4290-691: Was the first such revue. It and Excuse I: Another Nice Night's Entertainment (1965) were only performed in Australia. In 1968 Humphries returned to Australia to tour his one-man revue Just a Show ; this production transferred to London's Fortune Theatre in 1969. Humphries gained considerable notoriety with Just a Show . It polarised British critics but was successful enough to lead to a short-lived BBC television series, The Barry Humphries Scandals . In 1970, Humphries returned to Australia, where Edna Everage made her movie debut in John B. Murray's The Naked Bunyip . In 1971–72 he teamed up with producer Phillip Adams and writer-director Bruce Beresford to create
4356-453: Was under-used as a star of local films. Another artistic production undertaken at this time was a 1972 collaboration between Humphries and the Australian composer Nigel Butterley . Together, they produced First Day Covers , a collection of poems about suburbia – read in performance by Edna Everage – with accompanying music by Butterley. It included poems with titles such as "Histoire du Lamington" and "Morceau en forme de 'meat pie'". From
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