Director: Nicki Woolaston
“There’s one character I’ve never fully explored, and that’s myself,” declares Barry Humphries in the promotion for his one-man autobiographical show. “This is a show where I am the principal; it’s not Les, it’s not Edna, it’s not Sandy Stone. It’s really about this character called ‘me’.”
Barry Humphries, better known for his alter ego Dame Edna Everage, is 88 years old. Or, as he prefers to say, “approaching my mid-sixties… from the wrong direction.” He’s been performing on stage, initially in theatrical plays before moving into comedy, for over 60 of those years. By his own admission, on stage is where he feels most at home, and it’s where he returns now to share his story and help us understand the man responsible for one of comedy’s most enduring characters.
The Man Behind the Mask follows the well-worn route of autobiographical monologues; a skip through the earlier years, a focus on the ‘famous’ years, and a smattering of talent-highlighting anecdotes. The first part focuses on his childhood, his relationship with his parents, his time at school and his move into theatre and entertainment. The second concentrates on his most famous creations, Dame Edna, and Sir Les Patterson.
The setting is perfectly simple; a baby grand piano, a Persian rug, a side table, and a wing-tipped chesterfield chair. The backdrop is a huge screen upon which pictures and videos from Humphries’ career are broadcast. Humphries himself is dressed in a fuchsia-coloured jacket daringly paired with a bright yellow tie and kerchief.
He is in exceptional form too. Physically, he jumps in and out of the armchair with the vigour of a man half his age. Vocally, his voice is, understandably, slightly croaky and wavering, but still maintains a power and command that obviously comes from a life in the theatre. Verbally, his dextrous use of the English language is a sharp as it ever was; if anyone knows the comedic impact a well, or ill, placed pause can have, it’s Humphries.
The show is a blend of factual narrative about his life’s journey interspersed with appropriate anecdotes. What’s not in doubt is that Humphries is thoroughly enjoying being on stage. Also, he is still very funny. He has a wonderful turn of phrase that can make the most mundane of sentiments wildly comic, like referring to his childhood neighbour as ‘the ill-favoured’ or how his mother was ‘the absolute mistress of the vocabulary of discouragement’.
Whilst a lot of the show is scripted, and he is noticeably using an autocue to keep him on-script, it’s when he ventures off script that he’s funniest. He is still remarkably quick witted and shines most when engaging with the audience.
All this said, the show unfortunately fails to live up to its title. With all the narrative and tales offered up, we have, at best, a disjointed timeline of his life with no real depth or emotional engagement. None of his four marriages are mentioned; of his four children, only the birth of one son is referenced in passing in a story about his mother; and his descent into alcoholism is offered up as a fait accompli but with no narrative as to how he got there, or how and why he changed. For all the bold statements about this show being about him, when it comes down to it, when he’s given the chance to give us some real insights into who he is and what drives him, he changes lane leaving us hankering for more.
At the end of the show, you’re left in no uncertain terms that Humphries is a consummate and exceptionally funny comedian. However, you’re really none the wiser as to who the person behind the mask really is.
Reviewed on 8 May and tours until 12 June 2022
The Reviews Hub Score
Funny but no insight.
