A gown called the “Sydney Opera House Dress” seems to sum up everything about Barry Humphries and his alter ego Dame Edna.
The blue silk and sequin number was made in 1981 for the finale of “An Evening’s Intercourse with Barry Humphries”, the first made for the housewife and superstar Edna by designer Bill Goodwin.
It’s at once very Australian, extremely over the top, and utterly ridiculous, with shoulders and neckline shaped like the sails of the iconic building.
The dress is one of three Dame Edna outfits to go on display at the Arts Centre in Melbourne alongside programmes, photographs and correspondence from Barry Humphries’ career.
The comedian died in April following complications from hip surgery.
The exhibition also includes the “Scream Dress” from Dame Edna’s Neighbourhood Watch in 1993, featuring Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream.
Designed by Stephen Adnitt, Edna claimed it was actually made by her son Kenny, who improved on the original painting.
It was challenging to choose from more than 1000 items related to Barry Humphries donated to the Australian Performing Arts Collection over many years, said Arts Centre Melbourne’s head of curatorial Margot Anderson.
“These costumes all have Edna’s trademark pizzazz and a three-dimensional quality that would have made her performance on stage even funnier,” she said.
There’s Humphries’ draft screenplay with Bruce Beresford for the 1972 film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie.
Also on show is a telegram from the comedian’s mother, sent on the opening night of The Song of Australia at the Regent Theatre in Sydney in 1983.
The exhibition is on at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Smorgon Family Plaza until August 30.
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