Subway Sights

If only our own public transport was as handy as New York's famous subway system that is often the only way to travel in that city. Recent sightings have included actors Tom Hanks and Helen Mirren but we have discovered a video of one time Sydney resident Keanu Reeves being very gentlemanly as he offers a lady a seat. Did she realise who he was?

Dispatch from Hong Kong

 To celebrate 50 fantastic years the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong welcomed over 800 celebrities, dignitaries and society guests from Hong Kong and around the world for a sensational party.
Dame Helen Mirren, Maggie Cheung, Bryan Ferry, Vivienne Tam, Karen Mok, Mary McCartney, Frederick Forsyth, Caterina Murino, Darcey Bussell, and Sir David Tang joined UK visitors George Osborne, Boris Johnson, Olivier Krug and Pierre Gagnaire and London based Aussie Darcey Bussell. The magnificent evening began with a star-studded red carpet arrival in front of the hotel with guests welcomed by Edouard Ettedgui, the Group’s Chief Executive- and the entertainment ?. .Bryan Ferry. Wow.

Ankie Lau & Ankie Beiki                   Dame Helen Mirren                    Darcey Bussell & Boris Johnson

Karen Mok performs

Video Of The Day : The Queen Explodes

 Dame Helen Mirren berates a team of ear-splitting drummers outside the Gielgud Theatre in Soho, London who performed while she was trying to give a performance as The Queen.
The drummers were advertising London’s As One In the Park gay music festival. What is about gay festivals and bloody drums ?. Bad enough that the old phoney Madonna is adored by the gay community but they have penchant for loud drums as any Sydneysider who wanders near Oxford Street will discover.
Video by Chris Dangerfield.

Dame Edna,Vagina Deniers & Gladioli Interuptus

It was bound to be a night of laughter, memories and tears as Dame Edna Everage took to the stage at the Capitol Theatre to bade farewell at the beginning of her final tour, Eat Pray Laugh !.

The first hour was given over to Sir Les Patterson who despite a severe attack of Montezuma's Revenge insisted on treating audience members to an on-stage BBQ in between Sir Les rushing for relief in a handy stage loo complete with amplified sound effects.

Sir Les introduced his brother Gerard Patterson, a Catholic priest who seemed much taken with Dame Edna's young Asian male pianist despite his correctional ankle bracelet sounding an alarm. According to Les, Gerard is a "card carrying member of the Vagina Deniers Club ".

Maria Venuti

The late Sandy Stone gave a final discourse about his life on Earth before ascending to the heavens in his armchair to the sounds of My Blue Heaven.

Dame Edna's manager Barry Humphries & Lizzie Spender

And then it was time for the grand Dame herself, arriving on an elephant with a decidedly Indian theme. Apparently Dame Edna's manager Barry Humphries has signed Edna to a long Bollywood film contract after mistakenly believing he was signing a Hollywood film contract.

artist John Olsen

Bruce Beresford

This was a night with Dame Edna at her best and those in the 'ashtrays' and upstairs circle were invited to "cling on like fruit bats" with the star promising to glance at them occasionally in direct proportion to their ticket prices. We heard the latest on her children, the dress designer Kenny and her daughter Val Mai with her numerous piercings who is in show biz as well, performing at the women's only Clit Clat Club in Marrickville.

Various hapless audience members were grilled as to their bedroom decor and few were spared Edna's pithy comments. The finale was as expected, with every audience member, stomachs aching from laughter provided with their own gladioli and a standing ovation to wish the Dame farewell.
And a final appearance from Barry Humphries with thanks to the audience and a hope that they would all attend the next farewell tour.

As for Dame Edna's future plans-she's been telling a UK newspaper that a biographical film of her life is in the planning :"little Carey Mulligan will be playing me, Helen Mirren will play my grandmother and that dear little Judy Dench will be my bridesmaid Madge".
It's just the beginning of Dame Edna's world tour and at 78 years of age could be her last. Run don't walk and get tickets now wherever you are. They're going like hotcakes and it's a seriously funny night of laughs.