Eddie Izzard, in the long tradition of British comedy, is a self proclaimed Transvestite. Benny Hill and Monty Python might not have used that 'term' themselves but were very much into wearing frocks. I expected Eddie to appear in a ball gown or something similarly feminine formal, so was surprised by the well tailored black suit, the only tell tale giveaways being the long red nails and high heels.
After coming out, he launched into non stop humour for the first hour and a half. He's all over the map with improv, non sequiturs, hilarious rewriting of history and various small animals and aliens thrown into the mix. He's many people on stage rambling about to himself,doing the most incredible visible comedy and a range of noises, most notable a chicken voice.
He began by saying that he was delighted to be in Vancouver and thought that other British, Captain Vancouver, must have been equally delighted to find this enjoyable west coast place that already had his same name. There followed an explanation of the advent of democracy in England with the Magna Carta, translated 'Big Card' ,in which men with lots of money and land were given the vote.
I was sure my brain's neuroplasticity has been tested by the end of the first hour and half. But in the second hour and a half, my guts would be tested too, as his demonstration of Dressage Horseback riding, would have me nearly dying from belly laughing. He thought it lacked sufficient meaning or outcome for an olympic sporting event, so that it might benefit from being linked to cat burglary, to give some audience appeal. With that he demonstrated a horseman sneaking his huge dressage horse through a window then parking it in a cupboard while he vandalized the place before making a getaway dressage style out the window and down the street.
I simply didn't know where the second hour went with it's Steve God and Darth Vader's brother and an endless list of brilliantly inane skits. He even sang ballads with a Frank Sinatra voice but with lyrics the likes never heard in Hollywood.
After the standing ovations at the end and the summing return and more standing ovations he said he'd take a moment for questions and answers in the lobby at the end of the show. Well, here was this man who'd run countless marathons for charity and was running for Mayor of London in upcoming elections. He was learned, bright, witty and fun. What a great after show treat.
Thank you Mark and Aim for an amazing night. Eddie Izzard rules! Death or Cake!
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