Theatre News

Eddie Izzard Gets Stripped at Lyric for 23 Nights Only

Eddie Izzard (pictured) will return to the West End next month with his latest stand-up show Stripped, which will run for 23 dates only at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. The slot at the Lyric became available following the cancellation, announced earlier today, of the transfer of Take That musical Never Forget (See Today’s Other News).

Stripped, which will run at the Lyric from 17 November to 12 December 2008, arrives in London following a critically acclaimed US tour across 34 cities, including three sell-out dates over the summer at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

Eddie Izzard‘s previous West End acting credits include David Mamet’s The Cryptogram, Lenny (in which he played legendary American comedian Lenny Bruce) and, most recently, Peter Nichols’ A Day in the Death of Joe Egg in 2001. His screen acting credits include Ocean’s Thirteen, Ocean’s Twelve, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Blueberry, The Avengers, Velvet Goldmine and the upcoming Valkyrie, opposite Tom Cruise, on film; and The Riches and 40 on television.

Prior to his acting success, Izzard shot to fame as a comedian and has frequently been hailed as one of the foremost stand-ups of his generation. He takes ideas and situations and extrapolates then into bizarre, tangential, absurd and surreal comic narratives. His first West End stand-up show, Live at the Ambassadors, was in 1993. It’s been followed by international tours for Unrepeatable, Definite Article, Glorious, Dress to Kill, Circle and Sexie. Stripped is his first new live show in five years.

Currently at the Lyric, Craig Revel Horwood and Karen Ruimy’s new Latin dance show Flamenco Flamen’ka is scheduled to continue its limited season until 15 November (See 1st Night Photos, 24 Sep 2008).

– by Terri Paddock