Entertainment idols are rarely idle

WHEN, three years ago, I commenced writing this weekly article I was happy but a little apprehensive about the commitment. As it turned out, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the privilege; connecting through the written word, where you can both inform and entertain – ‘infotainment’ – safe from the projectile tomatoes in the hands of disappointed readers. I’ve even acquired the rare skill of insertion, at the right moment, of the acronym ‘lol.’

Well, all good things come to an end. No, I’m not ceasing to produce the weekly article. Ncesi for disappointing the reader (lol?). In fact I’m lamenting the absence of an eternal earthly life. Not for myself, I hasten to add. I would especially appreciate it for those outstanding individuals who have passed on, and without whom life will never be quite the same.

Evidence

One of many such people now comes to mind and for no better reason than there was no evidence of special talents in his family or a childhood of guidance from within the immediate family to acquire the knowledge and skills that he so ably exhibited in later life. Quite simply, he reads a lot. If you’re young enough, you can follow the same path. Or otherwise provide an appropriate support for your child.

This is a guy called Barry Humphries. I’m willing to bet (E10 only – I only bet that on certainties) that you don’t recognise the name. Well, I’ll give you a clue – he was Australian. Second clue – he was best known for his one-man entertainment acts, impersonating fictional characters known as the egomaniacal ‘Dame Edna Everage’ and the coarse, always inebriated, Australian diplomat, ‘Sir Les Patterson.’ His highly skilful and entertaining impersonations brought Barry Humphries to worldwide fame. He died last month at the age of 89 and to give you some idea of the intense adulation he attracted, while in hospital he received sympathetic phone calls from King Charles III and the Duchess of York.

But it was the man, the master of the written and spoken word, rather than the impersonations, that caught my eye and created in me the devoted following of many years. And Humphries was one of the most prolific creators and exponents in acting, music, painting and writing. For me, it’s perhaps the last of those that made the greatest impact – one of his autobiographies – ‘My Life as Me.’

Reaction

The quality of his narrative is nothing short of amazing. Such was my reaction that I threw my pen out of the window. No more writing for me. Only inspirational words of encouragement persuaded me to change my mind and search for the pen (I talk figuratively; today it’s a laptop). I found it in a brose bush – yes, Mr Editor, a brose bush – and, while searching, got stung on my hand. When I reported it to the doctor he sought to politely correct me with, ‘There’s no ‘b’ in rose’. ‘There was in this one’, I replied.

Humphries was a true bibliophile, and writer of 24 books in his time. Such was his dedication to the written word as a child, that he never forgot the time his mother gave away his entire book collection. He was just a young boy, having to deal with the conciliatory words of the maternal philistine, “Well, Barry, you’ve read them haven’t you?” The boy was devastated.

It was he and the legendary Peter Cook who developed the world’s greatest satirical magazine ‘Private Eye’ with Humphries, aided by artist Nicholas Garland, producing, for a number of years, the cleverest and most entertaining adult cartoon strip ‘The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie.’ His critical, though always humorous, satire of what, to him, was the dull and complacent life in his home country of Australia caused him to be excluded from respected prominence at home for many years. Somehow, he just didn’t care about that. The world was his audience. His favourite quip was, ‘Life in Australia is about as exciting as going to a party, and dancing with your mother all night.’

Tributes

So how come the tributes for Barry Humphries have been pouring in from the Australian prime minister, other leading Australians and from the world of showbiz? And arrangements are being made for a State memorial this November 2023. Because Humphries had put Australia squarely on the map at the top end of accomplished artistes in the world. And Australians themselves all wanted to watch him.

To be frank I was not a great fan of his impersonated characters. The greatest pleasure for me was listening to Barry Humphries as himself; interviewed by chat show hosts and delivering extempore views and suggestions that were always highly perceptive and very funny.

Where did it all come from? It’s simple. As a child, young student and adult, he read books and across a wide spectrum of subjects. In his old age his personal library had grown to more than 20 000 books (that takes a bit of housing). The more passive temptations of the screen provide formidable competition in the present day but they will never match how much flows to the mind from reading good books.