Anna Russell showed audiences around the world how nothing is funnier than the truth

In preparing the short article on Anna Russell in today's Star, to go with this weekend's performances of Toad: The Anna Russell Story, I realised that what made Russell so funny -- and so popular -- was that she truly never had to make anything up.

Better still, some things don't change. Here's a section from her 1984 Farewell Concert tour where she describes the situation faced by anyone who wants to be an opera singer.

To illustrate her point with current real-world examples, following it is a clip of someone singing "Un bel di" and another avid vocalist rendering "Che gelida manina," for our listening pleasure. Both singers wisely decided to remain anonymous.

I leave Russell with the final note.