The opening sequence of the "Lust for Glorious" trailer, included as bonus material or further inducement to purchase more of what is Eddie Izzard, finds our hero stepping out of a cab in New York City’s Time Square and proclaiming why he needed to perform here: "Always a bunch of people who have gone outside to hang around and watch me talk in complete rubbish."
What Eddie gives us in "Glorious" is rubbish- finely crafted, inspired and hilarious stand-up routine rubbish. Dressed in an ultra-shimmer cranberry colored two pieces ensemble, complete with high-heeled boots, a black ribbon choker bearing an oversized cross, requisite nail polish and eyeliner, our boy resembles Marc Bolen attempting spring gothic formal wear. The set design at the Hammersmith Apollo backing Eddie as he saunters, sways, sashays and even imitates the gallop of a giraffe to great comedic effect looks like the underside from the fallen dome of a great cathedral, complete with crumbled columns and scattered bits of rubble. The intellectual in me wants to interpret this as a reflection of the great western empires that are falling before our eyes as Eddie makes us laugh at our helplessness in the face of such tremendous odds. The fan in me just wants to sit back, enjoy the show and get lost in the boisterous mirth of the performance.
Structuring his show around the three part theme of the Bible‚s Book of Genesis, the Old Testament and the New Testament, Eddie is brave enough to get side-tracked with numerous bits along the way describing the perils of a bee keeper’s vocation (I’m covered in bees!); the weighty subject of Princess Diana’s death; Achilles at the battle of Troy whose heel could have been furiously attacked by a fierce band of lobsters and crabs.
Eddie impressed me most with his willingness to explore and revisit truly absurd material even if the respective gags didn’t kill the first, second or third times around. His routine came off practiced, professional but open to flights of fancy if the impulse struck true. Also, with his garish, fem put-on, I expected more jokes alluding to his appearance or sexual nature, which he alluded to only once when describing an incident at a bar where he had to defend himself with martial arts he had read from an instructional book as a child. First and foremost, Eddie is a showman, and I believe his gender bending façade recognizes the spotlight and adds to the enigma and entertainment value of his presentation. "Glorious" is just that. |