OneMetal.com LIVE REVIEW:
Eddie Izzard ‘Stripped’

Getting the chance to see one of the greatest improvisers celebrated for his comedic meandering and wanderings has always been a comedian that’s been pretty high on my bucket list. From, why are people eating cake mix only to put it in the oven to make it less good to ninja sheep to giraffes talking to one each to the existence of an appendix, there’s a lot to take in during his quasi comedy-act / bible vs. Darwin lecture.

The Stripped tour has been around the US and has been jumping around the UK albeit with interruptions, such as running 43 marathons in 51 days (that’s running and not eating), for quite a while. Filing into the Nottingham Arena on last Saturday night there was a real sense of love and appreciation for Eddie in the audience; entering with little fanfare and masking his obvious discomfort with some flu-like illness, Eddie Izzard sauntered across the stage modest to the huge adoration given by the 6,500 strong crowd.

He then jumped into his typical gait touching on the subjects that have often been fertile grounds in the past, God and the dinosaurs, practical Greek Mythology and the always ever-present Jam and Badgers, Eddie visited a lot of old material and while it was certainly a new take it didn’t have the impact nor the freshness that it had in the early tours. In fact, that become a theme of the evening; when Eddie hit the audience with something new and innovative the crowd lapped it up, when he returned to familiar material it simply didn’t have that same punch.

It may have been the size of the venue, it may have been myself being a die-hard Izzard fan over analysing, it may been that I prefer my comedy in more informal settings, but after so much anticipation – Eddie Izzard didn’t delight to the degree I expected. In fact the funniest thing of the night was a message on the live twitter feed, where people in the venue were encouraged to post, where someone tweeted that they had swine flu. OK, it was crass but at least it was up to date.

Was Eddie Izzard bad? No, he was as charming and personable (as much as he could be in that venue), he didn’t interact with the audience (although he tends not to) and the guy *was* funny but not fresh, even with his jibes against the BNP and Nick Griffith you would have expected something but Eddie just didn’t go any further. Overall, you got the feeling Eddie Izzard tailored his material to play it safe, an attempt to give the audience that they want without having to push things too far, but in the end it fell between the camps…

Bottom Line

There's no doubting that Eddie Izzard is a Comedy God but the 'Stripped' tour simply doesn't have the bite that previous tours have given. If you are a fan then you may find this middle ground material lacking, however, if you aren't a fan then maybe this more accessible set might appeal...

Date : 23rd October 2009

Location : Nottingham Trent Arena