Saw Izzard for the first time
17 October 2023
I had the pleasure of attending Eddie Izzard’s performance last night, and what a show it was! About two decades ago, when I first started college, YouTube was still a novelty, and I recall stumbling upon a few clips from Izzard’s stand-up specials on the platform. There was also an ITunes radio channel that frequently aired snippets from comedy specials, and a couple of Izzard’s bits were in heavy rotation. I can’t pinpoint the exact one, but it might have been the one where they portrayed Noah in a speedboat with a windswept beard, or perhaps it was his take on Darth Vader (aka Jeff Vader) in the Death Star canteen.
These comedy sketches have always remained in my memory. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found myself increasingly less amused by stand-up comedy routines. I can certainly admire the effort and courage it takes to create and perform such material, but whenever I attend a show, I often find myself barely cracking a smile, let alone bursting into laughter (I fear I may have outgrown the media form). However, Izzard’s performances have lingered in my mind, and from time to time, I revisit his published comedy clips on Apple Music.
So, you can imagine my surprise when I came across tickets for one of Izzard’s shows. It turned out to be one of the best ways I’ve spent my last $90. Izzard’s jokes were just as sharp and memorable as I remembered them. His delivery maintained that signature riffing tone that he’s become famous for. It was also intriguing to observe that many in the audience were people of my generation, at least in terms of age. Izzard’s brand of comedy seems to appeal to a specific demographic. I attended college in the Pacific Northwest, at a college that extolled the virtues of a liberal arts education, and the audience seemed to reflect this atomosphere it was like attending my 20/30-year alumni class reunion. Or what I imagine it would look like. It was also really fun to visit the Dolby Theater; that place looks so fancy.