Eddie Izzard @ Cardiff International Arena
Transvestite comedian Eddie Izzard has jumped from comedy to theatre, then to Hollywood and back again. And now he is back, again!
His religious, historical and philosophical ramblings of previous tours are continuing in Stripped despite any West End or Hollywood influences over the past five years. His opening line was “Let’s talk about everything that’s ever happened.” So, once again he talks to us about dinosaurs, Darwin, Noah’s Ark, Latin, bees and the Bible among other random topics.
Although random, his tangents ironically appear to have structure. He has included much of this material in previous tours but simultaneously brings something new every time. His style makes you feel like he’s just talking to another person one-on-one, except that other person just so happens to be represented by a few thousand others.
Izzard’s miming and wacky anecdotes sometimes leave the audience with a question mark, and that’s when Izzard whips out his trusty hand and writes a mental note that the joke isn’t working, which has the crowd in stitches.
Izzard doesn’t really tell ‘jokes’, he tells stories which just happen to be funny. Not to discredit his natural talent as a performer, he embodies the ‘joke’ rather than tells it.
Stripped, being his first stand-up show since Sexie five years ago is a refreshing reminder of Izzard’s charisma and natural comedic ability.
After starring in movies such as The Cat’s Meow, My Super Ex-Girlfriend and in TV series The Riche, Izzard certainly hasn’t lost his touch, even if he has lost the women’s clothes and make-up.
