THE WONDERFUL IZZARD
Amajor force hit India in high heels, lipstick and mascara in February. Cross-dressing comedian Eddie Izzard performed three sold-out shows in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru as part of his Force Majeure tour. Rated among the most original stand-up comics of his generation, Izzard has a special language ability; he has performed in French, in which he is fluent, as well as German, Russian, Spanish and Arabic, languages he doesn’t actually know. He has an honorary doctorate for promoting internationalism. No, he didn’t use any Hindi or Marathi or Kannada. (He did compare the Welsh accent with the Indian accent. Conclusion: Welsh-on-cocaine sounds Indian, just as an Indian-on-marijuana sounds Welsh.) Sashaying in to David Bowie’s Fame, he opened the Delhi gig with the nuances of human sacrifice. History, though, is what he was really after. Beginning with the beheading of Charles I (CharlieOne, puhleez), he went back to Richard the Lionheart and Julius Caesar, stringing together the bravery of many emperors in the overarching theme of chickens. Cluck cluck. (His skills are not limited to human language; or to comedy, for he will appear in the upcoming film, Victoria and Abdul.) The audience was quite familiar with his older material, and there were frequent calls for particular jokes. At 55, Izzard is turning old and mellow. “I love how he moves on the stage, what he can do with his body,” said Samia Singh, a young illustrator and singer, walking out after the show, her facial muscles stretched by laughter. “The foreign stand-ups attract an older audience, who are familiar with international material and have the spending power. But Indian comics attract greater numbers, up to 10 times. There are newcomers, even. The tickets are cheaper,” says Vijay Nair, CEO of event management company OML, which organised the show. OML has showcased comics like Russell Peters and Bill Burr. Two years ago, they almost brought Jerry Seinfeld, perhaps the most popular stand-up comic around, to India; the show was cancelled after Mumbai police refused parking permission. OML also handles several Indian comics, including AIB and Zakir Khan. Izzard, though, is the biggest name yet to perform in India. So who else is on the list? Nair refused to divulge any names. How about Louis C.K., Vijay?