Monday, May 04, 2009

Dame Edna and Joan Rivers!

Hello Possums! Hello Darlings!

Today we bring you a little Bank Holiday video treat...

As you know, our favourite Gigastar is currently touring the US with her latest cutting edge theatrical experience - "Dame Edna - My First Last Tour". She's recently been "caring and sharing" in Boston (check out this review!), and soon will be taking the gladi glamour to the lucky little darlings of San Diego.

To celebrate her fabulous success in America, we thought we'd bring you little look at Dame Edna then, and Dame Edna now:

Dame Edna then: With Joan Rivers in her first US appearance...




Dame Edna now: Boston TV ads for "My First Last Tour"...






Thursday, April 30, 2009

Dame Edna at Renishaw Hall!

Everyone aspires to live as fabulously as Dame Edna does (she is, after all, the ultimate Housewife/Megastar!), and Edna has always taken an interest in her Possums and their homes.

In her ground-breaking theatrical appearances, she often enquires if her audience members live in nice homes ("...well, Possum, you can afford it...you've saved on clothes..."), if their homes are attached to other people's homes (in Mooney Ponds everyone has their own home), and if they have a shag on the stairs (I mean carpet, of course! Don't twist my words!).

She even explored the nooks and crannies of her audience members' homes in her fabulous TV show "Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch". Lucky little darlings!

And this summer, Dame Edna will be lending a touch of glittering gladioli glamour to the home of the Sitwell family - Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire!




The gorgeous possums at Renishaw have added a Dame Edna exhibit to their stately home this summer. Visitors will be able to enjoy a showcase of Edna's costumes, accessories, and photographs. How exciting!

After wandering around the home and grounds of Renishaw, groups of bewildered senior citizens will be so grateful to discover the exhibit featuring their favourite international phenomenon and swami.

After all, if you've got a choice between a gilded portrait of a crusty old ancestor, or an Australian Gigastar, you're going to choose the Gigastar every time!!!

So quicksticks, Possums! Clear your schedule and make your way to Renishaw Hall soon! Who knows...there might even be incidents of healing. Edna often has that effect on people - they're finding discarded canes in the aisles of her theatres all the time - and Renishaw could be the next Lourdes!!!

With Dame Edna memorabilia at the V&A Museum in London as well, it seems Edna is on the cutting-edge of exhibitions these days! It won't be long before her best friend Lillibet begs her to lend some diamonds and frocks to a summer exhibit at Buckingham Palace. Well, someone's got to give the place a little glamour....




Thursday, April 16, 2009

Delicious Dame Edna!

You little darlings!

Dame Edna is a vision, it can't be denied. And although she is, perhaps, not a traditional beauty, she is looking unbelievably gorgeous these days.

The worlds of fashion and glamour seem to agree. She recently inspired a fabulous MAC (Megastar Approved Cosmetics) make-up collection, and non-entities and stars alike clamour for her beauty tips!

She will admit to a touch of plastic surgery (her double chin is a graft from Elizabeth Taylor's left-over love handles....), but in the main, it is her inner gorgeousness that shines through to make her an icon of our age.

And so her image has been honoured time and time again - on stamps, magazine covers, statues, and even waxworks. It's only a matter of time before the Australian currency is emblazoned with her fabulous face.

But who would have guessed that she would be immortalised in a gallery, next to Michelangelo's statue of David?

Well, it's happened, Possums!

In chocolate.

Yes, that's right! Panny's Amazing World of Chocolate, on Phillip Island, Australia, have created a wall mural of Dame Edna, entirely from chocolate.


Quicksticks, Possums! If you want to see this extraordinary work of culinary art, you'll have to be fast. Our source at Panny's tells us that they've had to post security guards around the exhibit, because Edna's disappointing daughter Valmai keeps showing up and eating pieces of the mural's chocolates.

And since her break-up with that rather rugged Czech tennis player Fern Bratislava, Valmai's been eating like never before. They'll be lucky if there's even a rhinestone left by Friday...




Monday, April 06, 2009

Dame Edna at the V&A!

You little darlings!

If you're wondering what you might do over the fast-approaching Easter long weekend, why not visit the gorgeous Victoria and Albert Museum in London?

They've recently opened some new "Theatre and Performance" Galleries, and it's no surprise that the world's most celebrated Housewife/Megastar features in the exhibit!!!

Dame Edna is, of course, the theatre world's foremost style icon (little Helen Mirren and Judi Dench are always calling to borrow a frock or diamond bracelet!).

And so it's only right that Edna's Baked Beans dress from the "Dame Edna's Work Experience" television show, and her 1976 Sydney Opera House hat for Ascot, are displayed at the V&A amongst the best of the UK's theatrical gems.




Quicksticks, Possums! Check out these articles for more details:


Telegraph.co.uk : That's Entertainment - The New Costumes at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Telegraph.co.uk : Dame Edna Everage's 1976 Ascot Hat

Performance Monkey : Theatre Behind Glass

MusicalCriticism.com : The V&A Opens Its New Theatre and Performance Galleries


Rumour has it that the good people at the V&A have begged Edna to lend them the gorgeous collection of frocks she has had designed by her son Kenny over the years. The addition of a "Kenny Everage Originals" Gallery at the museum would surely be an unrivalled attraction, don't you think?



Friday, March 20, 2009

Dame Edna Lookalike Contest!

Hello Possums!

As Dame Edna continues to tour America with her "vibrantly stimulating theatrical infrastructure" in the form of "Dame Edna - My First Last Tour", we have news that the gorgeous little non-entities of Florida have been invited to enter a Dame Edna Lookalike contest to win tickets to the show.

Dame Edna is, of course, an international style guru and fashion icon (most recently celebrated with her own MAC collection!), and desperados the world over are always attempting to recreate the gigastar glamour, with mostly inadequate results. After all, very few have her eye for refined understatement, do they?

No doubt her adoring fans will enter this contest in their squillions!


But - goodness me! - let's hope that there won't be any men entering. I think that the idea of a man getting dressed up in women's clothing is a little uncalled-for.

A little bit yucky.

Call me old-fashioned, Possums, but I do!




Friday, March 13, 2009

Dame Edna Back On Tour in the USA!


Hello Possums!

Just in time for the weekend, we bring you a
review of Dame Edna's gorgeous show "My First Last Tour", which she is now performing to the grateful non-entities of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Edna is back on tour in the USA for the next four months, prior to her return to the UK in her dazzling show "The Last Night of the Poms". She's a busy 'ol Housewife / Megastar!

In light of the world's tragic state of affairs, we've no doubt that they'll all be begging for day passes from their Florida "Sunset Retirement Facilities", desperate for a glimpse of the gladioli glamour. They will, of course, be heavily medicated and confused, but will certainly enjoy the colour and the movement - the lucky little mites!

Here then is the article from The Miami Herald, with several brief video clips of the show to enjoy:

Dame Edna's Still Got Game

They must have been grateful on opening night when, gazing out at the adoring multitudes she remarked "You've aged tragically, even for Florida!". Call me old fashioned, but I'm sure she meant it nicely!



Monday, March 09, 2009

More Celebrations of Barry!

You little Darlings!

Following on from our last post celebrating Barry Humphries' 75th birthday, we're pleased this week to bring you a link to yet another article about the brilliant Bazza.


The Sunday Times recently featured an article written by Kathy Lette, Barry's neighbour in London, discussing his life, loves, and of course, laughs. Enjoy, Possums:

Always Dame For a Laugh - The Sunday Times



Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Barry Humphries - Happy 75th Birthday!

Hello Possums!

Rejoice, you little darlings, for today is the birthday of "The Man Inside Dame Edna", Barry Humphries. And can you believe it, he's 75 years young! Astounding!


To celebrate, we thought we'd bring you this fantastic article from "The Australian":

Barry Humphries, The Clown Prince of Suburbia

...and this from the BBC:


Have a bonzer birthday, Barry! Hope it's a right ripper!



Thursday, February 12, 2009

"The Man Inside Dame Edna" Airs in Oz

Hello Possums!

News this week that the documentary "The Man Inside Dame Edna", first seen in the UK on Channel 4, is airing tonight on ABC in Australia - the lucky little darlings!



This gorgeous tele outing was filmed during Dame Edna's 2007 tour of Australia with her glittering show "Back With A Vengeance". The Australian version of the programme is 10 minutes longer, and has a more Australian focus in addition to extra material about Humphries' rise to fame between the 50s and 70s.

Here at The Untamed Edna Experience, we adored this rare glimpse into the genius of Barry Humphries, and we hope that someday this new broadcast might some day be available on DVD!!! But until then, here is a brief YouTube clip of the programme. Sadly, it features Sir Les Patterson, who we must all agree is a little bit yucky and uncalled for, but what can you do...?








Friday, January 23, 2009

Dame Edna UK Tour News!

Rejoice, Possums! Rejoice!

The joyous news of a new Dame Edna UK tour has just been announced!

This wondrous revelation has exploded onto the web and across news outlets everywhere, and tickets are already going fast - of course!

For so long now, no-hopers and non-entities around the country have been desperate to witness the glory of a Dame Edna stage show.

(In fact, the term "show" is hopelessly inadequate. It would be far more accurate to refer to them as cultural histories-in-the-making and, some might even say, sessions of indescribable healing power!).

And now we can all go and witness the glittering greatness that is an International Gigastar. The very idea is almost too exciting for words!

Dame Edna will be joined by Sir Les Patterson in "The Last Night of the Poms", the first UK tour in 28 years! And joining these two luminaries will be Carl Davis CBE, providing a musical extravaganza that will include complete orchestras and choirs. How gorgeous!


This ground-breaking show was first performed in 1981 at the Royal Albert Hall, and Carl Davis tells us:

“This unique collaboration between myself and Barry Humphries was written as a parody on the Proms. Barry and I have waited 28 years to do this concert again, Dame Edna and Sir Les never disappoint.”

Dame Edna is, no doubt, disappointed to be saddled with Sir Les once again, but perhaps her long-term manager Barry Humphries is to blame. Edna doesn't approve of Sir Les, who is well know as Australia's "cultural" attache, and Chairman of the Australian Cheese Board. She feels, quite frankly, that he is just plain yucky, and has had to put up with him for decades now. Poor woman!

The tour, which runs from 11th Sept to 3rd Oct, will visit these lucky cities:
  • September 11 - SECC, Glasgow
  • September 12 - Usher Hall, Edinburgh
  • September 15 - Royal Albert Hall, London
  • September 16 - Evening News Arena, Manchester
  • September 18 - Brighton Centre, Brighton
  • September 22 - NIA, Birmingham
  • September 23 - Sheffield Arena, Sheffield
  • September 25 - International Arena, Cardiff
  • September 26 - International Centre, Bournemouth
  • September 29 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
  • September 30 - O2, Dublin
  • October 2 - Echo Arena, Liverpool
  • October 3 - Trent FM Arena, Nottingham
Don't you think it's spooky, Possums? Just as the world needs some light and hope in these dire economic times, Dame Edna comes to the rescue (as only the world's most talented and influential woman could) with a new tour for 2009, bringing her hope, wisdom, and gorgeous gladioli to the masses!

It brings a tear to my eye, Possums! Call me old-fashioned, but it does!




Monday, January 12, 2009

Dame Edna on AVIVA Television Ads!

Hello Darlings! Hello Possums!

Well the world-wide love affair with gigastar Dame Edna Everage continues!

Her cutting-edge stage show "My First Last Tour" is still touring North America to a rapturous response, healing and uplifting little non-entities around the continent with her zesty zingers and megastar mirth.

And we all know her fun and fabulous MAC cosmetics line has recently been launched globally. In fact, she's just about to make an appearance in Australia to launch it there, adding some much needed glamour to their dull down-under lives. Lucky little things!

But we also have a gorgeous new television ad to enjoy too! It's just what we need to get us through the January blues, isn't it, Possums?

Insurance company AVIVA (who used to be Norwich Union) are using the profiles of a host of stunning stars who have also changed their names in earlier days - Ringo Starr, Bruce Willis, Alice Cooper, Elle Macpherson, and our very own Dame Edna, feature in the ad.

Of course, we all know that Dame Edna didn't change her name herself.... She had the title of "Dame" thrust upon her by her good friend Lillibet, who insisted that she should be known as Dame Edna because of all the good she has done for mankind (after all, even the Dalai Lama said he felt a better person after meeting her...).

So here it is, Possums. From Mrs. Norman Everage to our gorgeous Dame Edna. Enjoy!







Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Dame Edna - Megastar Musings


Hello, Possums!

With the launch of MAC's Dame Edna Collection, journalists have been clamouring to bask in Dame Edna's Gigastar glory, beseeching her to share the beauty tips of an international icon of style and good taste! Here then is a round-up of the fun and fabulous articles we've seen of late:









Dame Edna New Year News!

Gigastar Greetings for a Gorgeous New Year!

Despite all the holiday happenings, you've been missing us, haven't you, Possums?

It's been a busy ole' time here at The Untamed Edna Experience! In addition to entertaining adorable little non-entities throughout the Chrissie season, we've been moving (well, all the Kenny Everage originals needed a bigger closet...). But now we're all settled in at Edna Central, and ready to roll for a glittering gigastar 2009!

And what a year it's turning out to be already, darlings! We can hardly keep up with all the Dame Edna news in the world. She's truly in greater demand than ever, and obviously at the height of her powers, with all her juices flowing!!!

So watch out in the coming days and weeks as we highlight all of the Megastar-Mania!

The first thing we have to mention, of course, is the recently launched MAC Cosmetics Dame Edna line of wisteria-inspired make-up essentials! The web has been awash with blog entries from eternally grateful Possums around the world who can, at last, enjoy a little of the gladioli glamour for themselves.

The unveiling of this eagerly anticipated collection has been aided by an avalanche of exciting publicity!

MAC have a Facebook Page loaded with fabulous pics and interview snippits. Dame Edna tells us about her G-Spot exercises:



“I do my G-spot exercise every morning. I wake–up, I look in the mirror and I say those G-words: ‘Edna, I say, ‘You are gorgeous, you’re gorgeous, you’re GORGEOUS.’ And I go through the day absolutely gorgeous.”


Wise words indeed.

MAC and Dame Edna are also on YouTube, darlings!





Check back again soon for more news of our favourite Housewife/Megastar! It promises to be a deliciously delightful Dame Edna new year, Possums!




Monday, November 17, 2008

Dame Edna: MAC-tastic!

Hello Possums! Hello Darlings!

The excitement is mounting as we quickly approach the launch of the new Dame Edna line of make-up from those gorgeous glamour gurus at MAC! As we reported earlier, the lucky little mites of North America will be able to buy items from this trend-setting collection on 26th December, while UK shoppers will get their chance in the New Year.

Bloggers and make-up aficionados the world over are abuzz with the news! Here are some highlights from the blog of a web correspondent who hails Dame Edna as the Queen of Beauty:


While Edna is fond of all of the products, her favorite is KangaRouge, a blue-red lipstick. “A part of the kanga is this same color — it’s hopping over you and you look up and there it is,” she opined. “MAC has captured it. I only hope I don’t I meet an excitable male kanga.”

*****

Target consumer? “The young, because the young adore me,” said Dame Edna. “The middle-aged are jealous of me.”

*****

Promotion will take a cheeky spin: Simon Doonan has taped three interviews with the unrestrained Dame, which will be shown on maccosmetics.com, YouTube and Facebook at launch.




How thrilling! And, of course, the final word goes to the Australian Gigastar herself:


“I’m doing this out of love — I’m a giver,” said Dame Edna, the lavender-haired alter ego of Australian comedian Barry Humphries. “The audience’s applause was a little louder when I was wearing MAC on stage, so I was a convert. They didn’t have to coerce me.”

*****
What’s next for the Dame’s beauty line? She’s mulling over a line with a special added ingredient: “Mother spit — it has magical properties,” she said. “My mother is in a facility and she is now drooling in commercially viable quantities. This could be big.”


You can always count on Dame Edna to have her finger on the pulse - well, at least on her mother's pulse anyway...



Friday, November 07, 2008

Dame Edna at your Wedding?

Glad tidings, Possums!

It is with a joyous heart that I announce a new video from our fabulous Dame Edna impersonator Simon Whitehouse on YouTube!

He's been a busy ole gigastar impersonator this summer, caring and sharing at weddings up and down the country, and bringing joy to crowds of non-entities everywhere. Call me old-fashioned, but their dull little lives will likely never be the same again!

So we thought it would be rather gorgeous to post a video of some of the highlights on YouTube. We aim to add more of these videos in the months to come, so stay tuned!








Sunday, October 26, 2008

A Dame Edna Coincidence!

Hello darlings!

We've discovered a spoooooky 'ole coincidence in the world of TV talk shows, Possums!

We all know, of course, that Dame Edna's seminal and ground-breaking TV series, "The Dame Edna Experience" was a life changing phenomenon, not only for her guests, but for a host of fans around the world.

No-one can match the caring and sharing of a Gigastar, but many little non-entities seem to be on television trying these days, including a certain BBC comedian who, it seems, can't even pronounce his own name. Call me old-fashioned, Possums, but he can't.

Of course I'm talking about Jonathan Ross. And here is where our little coincidence begins....

On Friday night, Jonathan's guests included Grace Jones and Tony Curtis.

But like most things, we discover, that of course, Dame Edna did it first! That's right, in her second series in 1989, Dame Edna had both Grace Jones and Tony Curtis on the same episode as well! Isn't that spooky?

So here, for our Gigastar enjoyment, is a clip from Edna's interview with the ever outrageous Grace. Enjoy, Possums! Enjoy!






Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Dame Edna is the new MAC Style Icon!

You little darlings!

I know that you're rejoicing at this very moment, aren't you Possums?

You've been looking into the mirror lately, thinking "I wish I could look more like my favourite international Gigastar and fashion icon, Dame Edna Everage!", haven't you? But sadly, at the moment, you see instead a rather plain, uninteresting non-entity staring back at you in that reflection, rather like a New Zealand bridesmaid. How yucky! (I mean that nicely!)

But now you can leave that tired old look behind you, darlings, because very, very soon you'll be able to buy your very own make-up from The Dame Edna Collection at MAC!!!!


Yes, that's right! Dame Edna is MAC's latest Beauty Icon, and these glitteringly gorgeous makeup products will be released to a grateful (and for the moment, relatively unattractive) public on 26th December, allowing them to reach heights in glamour and beauty they had previously thought entirely unattainable!!!

MAC's previous Beauty Icons have included Liza Minnelli,
Raquel Welsh, Catherine Deneuve, and Diana Ross. But this collection will obviously eclipse all the others!

The Dame Edna Collection will include such fabulous items as:
  • Kanga-Rouge, Gladiola, and Coral Polyp lipsticks
  • Splendid and Possum lip-glosses
  • Royal Tour, Dame's Desire, and Wisteria eye shadow trios
  • What a Dame! and Spectacle powder compacts
  • Asiatique and Varicose nail lacquers


Not only that, but you can click here and visit Spektra Beauty News to see the new Gigastar beauty charts and how to achieve the look of an internationally acclaimed fashion guru.

So mark the date on your calendar, Possums, and ask everyone to give you MAC gift certificates for Chrissie, because you're going want to rush out to MAC at the crack of dawn on 26th of December!

Just think, you'll finally be able to look attractive for New Year's Eve! Maybe you can find a "Kenny Everage Original" frock to go with your new look...? It's a dream to live for, darlings!




Thursday, October 02, 2008

Dame Edna on Tour!

Rejoice, Possums!

Our beloved Gigastar/Housewife will soon be on the road again, spreading her Australian words of hope, wisdom and joy.


Yes, her much anticipated show "Dame Edna - My First Last Tour", is soon to be gracing theatres across the United States and Canada. Isn't that gorgeous?

In her own words:

“In this show you will see me up close and personal, Possums, perhaps for the last time! Close enough to see my beauty and personal enough to feel my love, and even, in some cases, my reluctant disapproval. I’m sharing and caring with those who need it the most — YOU, my adoring audiences.”

Of course, we know that Dame Edna's theatrical appearances aren't so much shows, as they are miracles. Very often after her shows, ushers find zimmer frames and crutches from little non-entities who entered the theatre sick and emerged from her presence several hours later fully restored to health. Isn't that spooky?

Dame Nature has bestowed upon Dame Edna a host of rare gifts. And we, her loyal Possums, can only be eternally grateful that she is selfless enough to share them with us all!

So run, Possums, run! If you are in the cities she is visiting, you can't miss this chance to be in the presence of greatness. Get your tickets, whatever the cost. Your lives will never be the same again!

The currently scheduled dates include:

Nov. 7-9 at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX
Nov. 14-15 at River Rock Casino in Vancouver, Canada
Nov. 20, 2008-Jan. 4, 2009-Post Street Theatre in San Francisco, CA
March 10-29, 2009 at the Parker Playhouse in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
April 6-7 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, FL
April 10-11, 2009 at the Philharmonic Centre for the Arts in Naples, FL
June 2-7, 2009 at the Civic Theatre in San Diego, CA
June 9-21, 2009 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, CA



Thursday, September 25, 2008

Dame Edna Gives!

You little darlings!

It's been a busy time here at "The Untamed Edna Experience" newsdesk, as Dame Edna has been a busy ole Gigastar lately, and we've lots of news to report to you!

She's been Stateside this past month, making a number of gorgeous appearances for charity and bringing her gladioli glamour to her American possums.

It's no surprise to see Dame Edna giving of herself in this way. The lives of her fans are transformed simply by her housewife/gigastar presence, and she is after all, a guru, a healer, and international confident to everyone from Nelson Mandela to the Dalai Lama.

Most recently, she hosted Macy's Passport event in San Francisco, a gala evening which raises money for HIV/AIDS programs across the country. She made headlines with the remarks she made to SF mayor Gavin Newsom (...well a mayor's hands should never smell of fish! How yucky! How uncalled-for!). Check out the details (with some fabulous pictures) at the S.F Fashion Examiner. I wonder if her son Kenny designed the frock....?

The good people of Los Angeles also had a chance to swoon in the presence of our Australian heroine, as Dame Edna hosted the reopening of the Mark Taper Forum theatre on Saturday, 13th September.

Resplendent in fuschia sequins and feathers, Dame Edna welcomed showbiz luminaries such as Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, William H Macy, Felicity Huffman, and Kirk Douglas (you'll find a picture here!)
, and kept the glittering audience in stitches throughout the evening!

We wonder what she really thought about the theatre though... In a television interview, she remarked that the new seats were "a squashed caterpillar green" and noting the new carpet, said "...they must have got that at a special price...".

I'm sure she meant it nicely...



Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Dame Edna on Jay Leno

Hello Possums!

You gorgeous little mites! You've been hungry for news of our favourite Australian Gigastar haven't you, and I've been away.
The lives of non-entities like you the world over have been rather dull without my regular reports of Gigastar goings-on - I'm so sorry, my darlings!

But rejoice, because I'm back in the office of "The Untamed Edna Experience", beavering away and collecting news of Dame Edna from the four corners of the globe. Isn't that exciting?

Coming soon will be news of her upcoming tour and some fabulous recent public appearances, as well as some glittering details from the world of glamour and fashion! How gorgeous!!!

But first, a little clip from Dame Edna's recent appearance on the Jay Leno show in Los Angeles. She shared the couch with Hugh Laurie, and was in fabulously hysterical form. Here she is, talking of gynecology, Sarah Palin, and celebrity rehab. Enjoy, Possums! Enjoy!