Eddie Izzard’s remarkable solo rendition of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet debuted last night at the Greenwich House Theater on Barrow Street. The production, adapted by Mark Izzard and directed by Selina Cadell, has received overwhelming praise.
The Production and Its Team
This adaptation of Hamlet reunites Eddie with director Selina Cadell and adapter Mark Izzard, following their successful collaboration on Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations another of Eddie Izzard’s solo shows!
When the director was asked how she could tackle this challenge, knowing that ‘Hamlet’ is one of Shakespeare’s hardest works to adapt, she said,
“It’s a crazy notion, but perfectly feasible to have one person be 23 people. If you get the words right and you understand the characters, the characterization is in the language.”
Produced by WestBeth Entertainment, Mick Perrin Worldwide, and John Gore, the play promises to deliver an unforgettable theatrical experience.
Eddie Izzard: A Multi-Talented Performer
Renowned as an actor, multilingual comedian, marathon runner, and trailblazing political candidate, Eddie Izzard’s career transcends traditional boundaries.
With record-breaking comedy tours and acclaimed performances in film, television, and theatre, Izzard continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
“I assume the intelligence and the imagination of the audience – that they will paint in the details,”
Izzard said in regards to the minimalistic set design, with no props to use or hide behind, and lack of actors – just her dazzling the stage!
I’m quite happy up there to play these different characters by spinning myself ’round and talking to make these characters be different.”
Behind the Scenes
Izzard actually trained for the play by running on marathons! Not theatre marathons or movie marathons but actual marathons, she ran and documented on her social media pages.
“When you do a lot of multiple marathons, a lot of mental energy is needed… That is exactly what you need to go through Hamlet or Great Expectations or even my stand-up shows”
It wasn’t just for physical training but she emphasized how that served as her mental training as well. Eddie Izzard performed the 2-hour-plus show dynamically and courageously using only her imagination, talent, moody music and effective lighting to tell the centuries-old story.
Despite working together for years now, the trio still encountered a few arguments here and there during the making of the show,
“It’s good. It even got heated. We’re arguing over whether the emphasis on ‘not’ should be there …. Or, ‘Is that a question mark?
Now the production is offering performances through March 16 at the Greenwich House Theatre.
It takes a considerable amount of talent to make a show so unique, and Eddie definitely pulled it off! Speaking of talent and unique shows, come join the fun here Big Belly Comedy Club! We’ve got great comedy shows lined-up every night of the week all by some of the best comedians in London!
