Dame E at Her Very Best
It seems to me that Dame E is at her very best in the short mostly scripted comedy festival format.
Of course, there are hallmarks of her full one-woman stage shows - such as the interaction with a single member of the audience.
This usually begins with some pretty subtle (and scary) scanning of the front few rows - left ...
... and right ...
... until a suitable victim is spied ...
... at which point, an expression of devilish delight usually passes over the face of the demonic Dame ...
The doomed soul is seized on in a pythonesque and unreleasing grip ...
... and lured into participating in their own public humiliation and destruction ...
... which they usually do with good humor ...
Watching the video, I realized I hadn't remembered how pants-wettingly funny Dame E's slow and exaggerated facial freeze expressions could be ...
So enjoy ...
... as I will cos I think I'll just look at it one more time ... or two ... or five ... .
Love this person. He/ She came to Dallas a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteRay
Love the Grand Dame. Unfortunately we don't see much of her here in the States. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteWit
Honestly, I believe I have seen "her" before, but didn't know what to make of "her".
ReplyDeleteAnd I still don't! lol
Have to admit though that the video was funny. But that poor old woman!!
hey ray's cowboy
ReplyDeleteyep, s/he's pretty great
of course he's barry humphries but i still find it hard not to refer to him as 'her' cos the edna persona has become so real!
cya, nick
hey wit
ReplyDeleteyeah, he made it big in the US fairly late in his career (mading it big in the UK quite early on)
and also i guess not seen so much now anyway as he's getting older - he's doing a first last tour at the moment
he's 75 now (b.1934)! doesn't seem it
good to hear from you again
best, nick
hwy
ReplyDeletewell, one thing's for certain, there's a surprise in them thair jocks!
i i must say like his irreverent satirical approach to people - just seems so spot on from my perspective
do you remember if you liked his/her when you saw the show?
cya, nick
We love good old Dame Edna here in the UK
ReplyDeletehey anon,
ReplyDeleteyeah s/he'll be sorely missed when he finally hangs up his frock - tho maybe like dame nellie melba there' be many (many) farewells
cya, nick
She's a hoot...a true riot! love her and love your blog
ReplyDeleteraulito, hey again!
ReplyDeleteyeah s/he makes me roll around with often uncontrolled laughter
and glad you like the blog, thanks!
cya, nick
"Lesbianism always leaves a nasty taste in my mouth, possums"
ReplyDeletehey iain
ReplyDeleteyeah, never sure that barry humphries is always being ironic - the only justification for such remarks
cya, nick
No, the "lesbianism ... taste/mouth" gag isn't strictly ironic. It's a double-entendre, referring to oral sex.
ReplyDeleteBarry/Edna have been stars in the UK since the 1960s. My partner's mother, however, actually called us when Edna was on tv one night here in California to ask if it was a "real woman" because she wasn't too sure... oh dear, Americans, bless 'em... it's also worth mentioning that Dame Edna springs from the great British tradition of Xmas 'pantomime' shows, where a man always plays the Grand-Dame character for maximum buffoon laughs - as in Widow Twankey in "Aladdin" (played by Sir Ian McKellen a couple of Xmas's ago at London'd Old Vic Theatre), probably one reason the Brits immediately took Dame Edna into our hearts... it was wonderful seeing Edna's show in Los Angeles recently... I hadn't seen her since the "Housewife Superstar!" show in London in the early 1970s. Age has not withered her, nor custom staled her infinite variety...
hey iain
ReplyDeletethanks for your long and considered comment - appreciated
i understood the double-entendre - the (potential) irony i had in mind was mocking those who would make such a remark as a put down of dykes, clothed as a joke - humour i think often delivers a jibe.
and yes s/he does come from that tradition - curiously there are quite a few little clips on youtube of such grand dame performers/performances from the 1930s - british mainly
i've always thought barry's/endna's non-transatlantic translation was in part his three quarters cynicism (that irish/british attitude) - which he's toned down over the years, probably for acceptability - the earlier stuff is much more edgy - lots of uncomfortable racist stuff which could only be taken as satire of the average/everidge section of society that it the target of much of his humour.
and yes u r right, age has only burnished him, not withered - and as i roar with laughter i realise he's anything but stale
best, nick