Are you looking forward to seeing international superstar comedian Eddie Izzard's return to stand-up comedy in the West End this month? I am.
I first saw him perform in a room above a pub in Dulwich way back in the 1980s. Even then he had the audience hanging on his every word as he spun fantastical, absurd and utterly hilarious stories.
What I really love is that his humour isn’t based on cruelty or the mocking of others. Instead he challenges you to use your imagination and picture the extraordinary scenarios he’s describing. He’s such a charismatic performer that over the years he’s led us to believe that, for instance, there’s a canteen on the STAR WARS death star, to think through the possibilities of Pavlov’s cat, Mister Dog or being brought up by wolves. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then check out his classic monologues on youtube.
Izzard is an extraordinary human being, I suspect he has a terror of boredom because he’s constantly set himself daunting challenges, exhausting physical feats of endurance or performing in new languages and he’s an out and proud cross-dresser, cutting a real dash with a slash of red lip stick or glamorous thigh length boots when the mood takes him.
As with all our best comedians he’s also found fame beyond the UK. His work as a TV and film actor has included THE CRIMINAL (1999), SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE (2000) with John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe, he co-starred opposite Kirsten Dunst in THE CAT'S MEOW (2001) as Charles Chaplin and he took the male lead in A DAY IN THE DEATH OF JOE EGG (2002) on the London stage and on Broadway. Other prominent films he has appeared in include THE AVENGERS (1998), OCEAN'S TWELVE (2004), MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND (2006), OCEAN'S THIRTEEN (2007) and VALKYRIE (2008) Izzard has also appeared in various television series, including a starring role in The Riches (2007), which lasted two seasons on FX from 2007-2008.
But it is as a comedian that he is best loved. His upcoming show at the Palace Theatre is called FORCE MAJEURE described as a new “reloaded” version of the stage show he’s been touring around the world and performing in four different languages.
His PR adds “by the time Force Majeure Reloaded reaches the Palace Theatre, it will have been seen by audiences in Ireland, Russia, South Africa, Canada, the United States and regional parts of the UK”
It sounds like a real treat.
For once I'm writing about one of my own productions that I hope you'll come to see.