Eddie Izzard once quipped, ‘I ran 90km in just under 12 hours—a day I’ll never forget.’ But beyond her endurance feats, Izzard’s artistry shines in her one-woman Hamlet. Here’s the surprising part: when rehearsing the play, she felt oddly at home, not the expected terror. ‘I should’ve been terrified,’ she recalls, ‘but I felt ease.’ Yet, when delivering ‘To be or not to be,’ she admits, ‘I expected bells, a klaxon—something grand!’ Each night, she approaches the soliloquy differently, ensuring audiences experience it anew. And this is the part most people miss: Izzard’s street performer roots shape her style. ‘Shakespeare’s actors engaged the crowd, not a fourth wall,’ she explains. ‘I bring the audience into Hamlet’s brain—they’re part of the story.’
Controversial take alert: Izzard defends George Lazenby’s James Bond, praising On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. ‘Telly Savalas, Diana Rigg—it’s a masterpiece,’ she insists, despite its mixed reception. What’s your unpopular pop culture opinion?
Her Remix Tour revisits beloved routines, like The Death Star Canteen. ‘I twist it,’ she says, ‘like Madonna remixing Like a Virgin.’ But here’s where it gets controversial: she intentionally ‘breaks’ the routine, adding chaos. ‘People love it,’ she notes, ‘because they’ve seen it perfect so many times.’
Her marathons? Brutal. The hardest? A treadmill marathon: ‘Nothing to look at!’ But Northern Ireland’s hilly route took the crown. ‘I miscalculated—six miles left after I thought I’d finished. Grueling.’ And her 27 marathons in 27 days in South Africa? ‘One day in hospital, then 90km in 12 hours. A tough day.’
Secret talent? Sword fighting. ‘In Hamlet, I duel myself, but I’m actually skilled,’ she reveals, thanks to years in Covent Garden.
Fashion disasters? None—her Gaultier pieces are in storage. Fun fact: during Definite Article, a button popped off onstage. ‘I sewed it live,’ she laughs. ‘Committed to the bit.’
Onstage disasters? A flooded theater. ‘I told ghost stories in the dark,’ she admits. ‘Big mistake.’ In South Africa, lights went haywire. ‘I used my phone light—ghost stories again. My go-to.’
In Hannibal, Izzard ate mushroom ‘snails’ in a gruesome scene. ‘Stabbing them with a fork, it fell—they kept that take!’ Thought-provoking question: What’s the line between art and horror?
Cringeworthy celeb run-in? None. Brad Pitt, avoiding the Ocean’s 13 red carpet, plopped beside her. ‘We chatted, he dragged me into a group photo. Lovely.’
Nemesis? None, but she notes, ‘Margaret Thatcher’s politics weren’t mine. Her career ended as mine soared—coincidence?’
Catch Izzard’s Hamlet in Sydney (June 9-21) or Melbourne (June 30-July 12). Her Remix Tour hits Australia May 6-16. What’s your take on her Bond opinion? Lazenby—yay or nay?
