Glorious by Eddie Izzard [DVD]
I love Eddie Izzard’s stand-up. In Glorious he lopes across the stage imitating an evil giraffe, he runs in mock fright exclaiming, “I’m covered in bees!”, and he delivers a stream of unconventional witticisms, comical sound effects, and insightful observations.
Eddie’s jokes are carefully written but his delivery is casual and off the cuff. His jokes often rely on gesture and facial expressions, never more so than in his routine on “machines that lie”, during which he mimes the frustrations of making good toast and demonstrates the visual similarity between someone adjusting the tap in a shower and a safebreaker. (He ends this routine with a wonderful visual pun which I will refrain from describing—you will appreciate it better if it takes you by surprise.)
I don’t care much for stand-up, but I make an exception for Izzard’s smart, irreverent, performances. His shows are always entertaining andGlorious is one of his best.