One Man Show: The Stages of Barry Humphries

Children are usually the most reliable witnesses of the activities of their parents. When Emily Humphries was just four years old and living in Little Venice in London, her father, Barry, brought home a large, white, blow-up sofa, and set it up in the living room. It was a very expensive and rather uncomfortable piece, and Emily's mother, Ros, was distinctly unimpressed. But Barry liked its novelty value, and thought it should stay. In fact, Ros was furious that Barry had bought such an item when they were short of money. The next day, Spike Milligan appeared at the front door. He walked around the sofa, and then sat down on it, as the Humphries family waited for a reaction, a verdict. A second later he lit a cigarette. took a few Duffs, stole a glance at Barry and then, a look of triumph on his face, stubbed out the cigarette on the seat of the sofa, reducing the controversial purchase to a wrinkled, stinking mess on the floor. From that day onward, Barry knew that two comedians in one room was a dangerous thing.