The Frocks and Gladioli to be Put Away

[Guest fountainhall]

She has been a show business celebrity for decades, instantly recognizable, considered an icon by legions, adored by her worldwide fans and growers of a certain type of flower, loathed by others who see her dragging the name of comedy into the gutter. Now, it seems, an era is coming to an end.

 

The ever-young Dame Edna Everage, the superstar from Moonee Ponds down under, has suggested that the tour she is about to start in her native Australia will be her last. Hopefully the show will continue on to London and Broadway to give her fans there one last look at someone who has created her own special wicked humour and a place in entertainment history.

 

Of the many shows I have seen on TV over the years, one interview stands out. At the end of the 1980s, she did a series for London Weekend Television. It was titled, I seem to recall, The Dame Edna Experience. One guest was Zsa Zsa Gabor. As each laughed hilariously at the other’s witty remarks, Dame Edna suddenly turned serious. The conversation went something like this.

 

“Dear Zsa Zsa. I know I promised that I’d ask nothing personal, but there is one thing I know all your many fans – and I – desperately want to know. So, do tell us, please. What is the secret of a good divorce?”

 

The oft-married Gabor replied: “Dah-link Dame Edna, for you I will answer. The secret of a good divorce is always to give back the ring – always.” Pause “Keep the stone, but always give back the ring!”

 

I thought the dear Dame was going to wet herself!

 

So it is to be farewell to the frocks, the brightly coloured wigs, the outrageous spectacles, the gladioli and the often merciless pillorying of members of the audience. As another of her earlier “characters”, the drunken Australian Cultural Attache to the Court of St. James, Sir Les Patterson, would say –

 

put your hands together warmly across her opening and give her the clap she so richly deserves". (Few have doubled entendres as inventively as Humphries.)

 

http://www.guardian....arewell-possums

[Bob]

Dame Edna Everage was one of the few cross-dressing entertainers (as in males who wear women's clothing, gaudy or otherwise) that I actually "got" and thought was funny. Somewhat in the vein of the "church lady" (Dana Carvey?) on Saturday Night Live or Flip Wilson as "Geraldine." At times simply hilarious.

It sounds time, though, that she hang up her high heels while she still has the ability to walk across the stage without breaking a hip or two.

 

Now....slightly different topic....those other guys (mainly Brits for whatever reason) who dress up as women and sing or entertain (both of those terms being used in their most expansive and perverted forms) in bars or other venues are simply way beyond my understanding and wholeheartedly deserve plaudits to be tossed their way (in my mind, plaudits would include chairs, beer bottles, and or sharp/pointed objects).

 

But I will admit that Dame Edith has been one funny broad.

[Guest fountainhall]

I will admit that Dame Edith has been one funny broad.

 

Must have hit the cooking sherry a bit early today, khun Bob

 

As was discussed in a thread some time ago, cross-dressing is very much in the English tradition. In the annual Christmas pantomimes, the character playing the ‘Dame’ role is always a man – but obviously a man. And the character playing the ‘Principal Boy’ is always played – very obviously – by a young lady.

 

I believe neither of these characters are “drag” acts as such. The tradition of English pantomime goes back more than 200 years; yet when role reversal started, I have no idea. I guess it may have its roots back in Shakespeare's day when women were not permitted to appear on stage.

 

Likewise, I have no idea when purely comedic drag acts started. Arguably Britain’s most famous drag actor was Danny La Rue, he with a truly gravelly deep voice, whom Bob Hope called “The most glamorous woman in the world!”

[Bob]

Whoops, meant Edna. But no cooking sherry or other spirits. If anything, I don't drink enough!

 

I can understand the history of men playing women's roles at a time where they essentially had to as no women were allowed to either act or attend (some time before the Equal Rights Amendment, I believe...). But I still don't get what I see as something different - the guys (usually at least about our age and not too pretty to start out with) who are broadway wannabees dressed up in frocks that even Dame Edna might find a bit tacky. And, typically (at least most of the ones I saw years ago in Pattaya....and ran from as fast as I could), the guys were substantially horizontally challenged.

 

I've only seen this phenomenon once here in Chiangmai. A few years back, a guy built a showplace/restaurant/bar called Ruby Monroes (which was also his stage name) on Nimmanhaemin. I went to dinner there one night with the bf and another Thai friend and the show/act was simply horrible (and the fact that there were only 4-5 other people in the whole place prevented us from tactfully and quickly escaping). The guy had spent a lot of money on the place and, once I experienced that train wreck, I predicted it wouldn't last 3 months. I guess I was being generous as it was closed in about 30 days.

 

Dame Edna and others mentioned were trying to be funny and largely succeeded. I have never perceived that the others I mention were trying to be funny (they weren't in any event!) and almost all of them (in spite of the frumpy frocks and makeup applied with a paint roller) looked almost frightening and could hardly carry a tune. What was left to admire or even tolerate remains beyond me.

[KhorTose]

One of my favorite movies is Nicholas Nickelbe. A great English cast, half straight and half gay with Dame Edna playing a small role. Loved her, loved the movie. Real name of Dame Edna is Berry Humphries.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309912/fullcredits#cast

[Guest fountainhall]

I see that the actor playing the grown-up Nicholas in the movie is Charlie Hunnam. Readers of this Board probably remember him better as the hugely cute Nathan from the original British series of "Queer as Folk". Jeez, can't believe that series aired all of 13 years ago!

 

I once had the pleasure of meeting Barry Humphries and his lovely wife, Lizzie. His manager, John Reid, asked me to meet him when he was in Hong Kong to discuss financing for a project. I called him at his Kowloon hotel and he asked if we could meet on the island as he would be shopping there. So we agreed to meet in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. He then said he’d tell me what he was wearing so that I would recognise him. I immediately pooh-pooed that, saying there would be no need as I would instantly know him.

 

So, ten minutes before the appointed time, I plonked myself down on a sofa in the lobby to await his arrival. After twenty minutes, he hadn’t arrived. Then I started thinking – hey, wait a minute! I know him as Dame Edna. I’ve never seen him without the frocks and wigs. How on earth will I recognise him? Have I already missed him?

 

I then started scrutinizing every male entering the lobby. I even went up to three to ask if they were Mr. Humphries! Nope. Ten more minutes and I was beginning to panic. Five minutes later, in he walked, apologising profusely – and I only recognised him by the number of shopping bags he was carrying!