The Dame Edna Experience

Following on from a nod to the passing of Emily Perry, I can’t help reminiscing over an abiding memory from The Dame Edna Experience, broadcast back in 1987. Dame Edna was chatting to her guests: Cliff Richard and Mary Whitehouse before introducing the next guest. The idea of Barry Humphries, an Australian female impersonator in his persona of Dame Edna Everage, having Mary Whitehouse, the epitome of all that was the worst in sanctimonious mealy-mouthed moralists, as his/her guest was enough to beggar the imagination. My brain was already rolling over and begging for mercy.

 

"Ladies and Gentlemen", trills Edna, "Would you please welcome Mr. Kurt Waldheim, President of Austria!" She stands up and waves grandly towards back centre stage, where on a raised podium over the band, double doors slide open and reveal Kurt Waldheim, clutching a bunch of gladioli! He steps forward to great applause and waves shyly to the audience. Meanwhile, Cliff and Mary are also on their feet, beaming and applauding. You could see the thought going through both of their minds: "Kurt Waldheim? – how is this possible? – but, he’s a really important politician, and I’m here as well…"

 

Mr. Waldheim turns, and walks along the podium. Suddenly, a trapdoor opens up beneath his feet, and he falls through it, gladdies and all. Complete deathly hush in the studio – camera cuts to Dame Edna returning a lever on the table next to her chair to the upright position. Cliff Richard and Mary Whitehouse ashen-faced. Cliff, horror-struck and mute, turns to Dame Edna, his hands making little gesturings towards the podium as if to say "shouldn’t we be doing something to help?" Dame Edna shrugs her shoulders and says to Cliff: "Ï’m sorry dear, but he was getting boring, so I aborted him".

 

Well, the look on their faces as they realise they’ve been had was priceless. I don’t think I laughed so much in years.