I think Eddie Izzard is fantastic. He’s a great film and television actor, and a brilliant stand-up comic. He’s an English Catholic Jesuit-educated cross-dressing straight man who speaks three languages (at least) and is blindingly smart about many things. His comedy shows are full of historical references and stories, musings on language, and wry observations of pop culture, human nature and the vagaries of the universe.
An added spice for me in watching his work is that he does a thing that I learned to call “role shifting” when I studied American Sign Language. ASL grammar includes role shifting as part of storytelling. If I’m telling you in English about going to the movies with three friends, I will generally use pronouns (he said, she said) or name them (then Jane punched Susan) when I report something about them. But ASL uses role shift instead, which includes locating multiple characters in space (Jane is here, Susan is there, Tom is at the end), and taking on characteristics of whomever is speaking (he said, she said) or acting (then Jane punched Susan). It’s a really cool part of ASL grammar, and I’ve never seen a hearing performer do it like Izzard. I believe it makes the experience that much richer for everyone.
I had the great good fortune to see him live in Seattle last year, a wonderful evening which included a completely ad-libbed conversation with a moth… a funny, smart man who clearly loves his work.
I couldn’t decide between these two clips (both from his show Dressed to Kill). The first takes on historical mass-murderers like Hitler and Pol Pot and why they get away with it. Like much good comedy, it is based in hard and uncomfortable truth. Then we move to imperialism and flags. The clip ends with the famous Cake or Death sequence. The second clip is a take on British versus American films.
And because the clips are from the same show, if you watch them both, you’ll see how Izzard’s themes keep re-emerging so that the show becomes a sort of tapestry.
These are absolutely positively not safe for work!
Have a giggle. Happy Monday.