Eddie Izzard: Great Expectations  ★★★★★
Garrick Theatre. London

One day someone will be tasked with writing the autobiography of Eddie Izzard. A hilarious standup comedian. A tireless athlete who ran a charity marathon a day, 6 days a week, for 7 weeks. A fearless juggler of gender expectations. And now an extraordinary storyteller who manages to make Dickens seem fresh again in a one-person show of epic facets. Adapted by her brother Mark Izzard and directed by Selina Cadell Great Expectations is a spellbinding theatre of the mind that is anchored in Izzard’s unique watchability.

Great Expectations is the story of the orphan Pip who is raised by his cruel older sister and her blacksmith husband. Pip is confused by the adult world. The motivations of greed, class and wealth only begin to make sense to him as he grows up. He has a series of childhood misadventures including helping an escaped convict and being taken under the wing of the reclusive Ms Haversham and her beautiful protege Estella. When a mysterious benefactor funds his education in order that he might become a gentleman he assumes that it is Miss Haversham. Only years later does he find out that his financial lifeline has come from the grateful convict who was deported from Britain and went on to make a fortune in Australia. Instead of the money making Pip eligible to court the somewhat heartless Estella he fears it merely confirms that he is not worthy of her.

Played out on a simple stage of plush red curtains and a single chandelier, Izzard builds and rebuilds sets with just her words. And in each set a myriad of characters come to vibrant life enabled by Izzard’s versatility as an actor and the well-honed comic timing of her stand-up origins. The switches from character to character are flawless and done with a stamina that makes it clear how her back-to-back marathons became possible.

The two halves are slightly uneven as the shorter second half has a number of plot twists that come at an excessive gallop. Whilst Izzard retains her composure the unnecessary speed leaves the audience slightly breathless. However, at this point, Izzard has the crowd willingly cheering her onto the final furlough.

Great Expectations is a refreshing way to experience Dickens. Shedding the over-familiar trappings of period costume dramas returns the importance to the words. Mark Izzard’s adaptation is a captivating vehicle for his sibling and is drawn from a thorough understanding of the talents of both Dickens and Eddie.

 

 

Review by ANDREW HEBDEN

Queerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day