Barry Humphries THE PAIN BEHIND HIS SMILE

Life has not been all laughs for the Aussie funnyman

Over the years, the legendary Barry Humphries has given the world the waspish and outrageous Dame Edna Everage, the fantastically vulgar Aussie “cultural attache” Sir Les Patterson and the quiet spirited “returned gentleman” Sandy Stone, to name a few.

He’s an immensely talented writer, a gifted landscape painter, a serious collector of art and incredibly knowledgeable on the subject – seeking out good pieces wherever he goes. He’s a recovering alcoholic, keen cook, best mates with celebrity chef Rick Stein and lover of women. Still the question goes begging, who is Barry Humphries?

It’s a question the man himself is attempting to address in his latest show in London’s West End, Barry Humphries: The Man Behind The Mask. It’s a show he’ll also hopefully tour Australia with, despite declaring a few years ago that he was fully retired.

“There’s one character I’ve never fully explored, and that’s myself,” Barry confessed ahead of 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.”