Dame Edna's master clas BARRY Humphries is a masterly entertainer.

Whether he's adopting the persona of the obnoxious Sir Les Patterson, reminiscing as Sandy Stone or being outrageously over-the-top as Dame Edna Everage, he is never less than brilliant.

The poet John Betjeman described him as "...an artist with words, imagination and mimicry who belongs to the great tradition of music hall and theatre".

That description cannot be bettered. Like the old music hall artists Humphries is not afraid of vulgarity. His Sir Les character positively revels in it. Four letter words are spat out with saliva (I was thankful I was not sitting on the front row) and his jokes about his sexual prowess and his wife's medical problem are not for the squeamish.

A dreadful track suit revealed exactly what Sir Les has to be proud of in the sexuality department!

After the disgusting Sir Les, Humphries switched to Sandy Stone (now the late Sandy and haunting a supermarket). Sandy mourns times past and the passing of such things as corner shops and broken biscuits. In a moving soliloquy Humphries revealed what a fine actor he is.

But, of course, the main attraction of the evening was the glamorous Dame Edna. She was a vision in multi-coloured lurex frock and yellow high-heeled shoes.

The "paupers" in the cheaper seats were immediately named her "mizzies" - short for Les Miserables!

She quickly sorted out her "targets" for the evening and ended up phoning the babysitter of one couple. The telephone conversation was relayed to the audience and I'm still amazed at the calmness of Margaret in Wilmslow who took the call.

Ordered on stage, the victims went like lambs to the slaughter. But that's Dame Edna's strength. Nobody would dare to disobey.

Madge Allsop, Edna's bridesmaid was there, and executed a little tap dance. Edna's quite a lovely mover herself.

The evening ended on a high note with the audience waving gladioli and making them tremble at Dame Edna's behest. They didn't want to let her go and it was nearly 11 pm before the audience filed out. The gladioli may have been wilting, but Dame Edna wasn't.

Runs until Saturday

DOREEN CROWTHER

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