Irish Examiner view: Goodnight Dame Edna, housewife superstar

Barry Humphries 1934-2023

Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage performing at the Last Night of the BBC Poms at the Royal Albert Hall. Picture: Johnny Green/PA Wire

It takes a unique form of genius to turn a gladioli, a pair of winged glasses, and a vomit-stained tie into icons of comedy. And genius was precisely the definition that we can apply to Barry Humphries, the Australian comedian and actor, who died this weekend at the age of 89.

Humphries came from Melbourne but lived in London for over 40 years and would tease fellow citizens of his country by telling them: “To live in Australia permanently is rather like going to a party and dancing all night with one’s mother.”