POSTED: 25 AUGUST 2010

Uncovering the enigma that is Barry Humphries*

Barry Humphries — satirist, comedian and burlesque entertainer — enthralls audiences across the globe.

As housewife megastar Edna Everage, he savages and enchants all in his path. His shambolic diplomat, Les Patterson, shocks and titillates, while Sandy Stone, poignant chronicler of suburbia, can bring audiences to tears.

Yet Humphries, the man, remains an enigma. In his 50 years of performing, he has avoided scrutiny of his true self — and the influences that help shape his characters.

One Man Show examines the life, and the aspirations, of this enormously talented artist.

From his youthful pranks on the staid streets of Melbourne, the phenomenon that was Barry McKenzie, and the dark years of alcoholism, through to his successes on television and Broadway, this finely drawn portrait reveals the truth of Humphries’ world.

It is the definitive story of a mysterious individual and his theatrical magic.

Dr Anne Pender lectures in modern and contemporary Australian literature and drama at the University of New England and holds degrees from the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales and Harvard.

She is the author of Christina Stead Satirist (2002) and has been studying the life and work of Barry Humphries for many years, recently with the assistance of an Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant.

*Based on media release issued by ABC Books.

PUBLISHING DETAILS

Dr Anne Pender, One Man Show: The Stages of Barry Humphries

Published 1 September by ABC Books | 464pp paperback | $35