After sold-out Madrid run, Eddie Izzard returns to Spain

Back in 2014, cross-dressing British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard decided to bring his Force Majeure stand-up comedy show to Madrid, with the joint aim of wowing audiences with his surrealist musings, as well as getting his levels of the local language up enough to actually deliver some of the show in Spanish.

Fast forward two years, and after the success of that sold-out run of six performances, Izzard is coming back to Iberia, this time performing 21 shows in both Barcelona and Madrid throughout November and December.

Having already mastered his act in French and German, he will be once again adding to his linguistic armory, introducing “poco a poco” more Spanish into his set as the run progresses – in fact, by Christmas the comic hopes to be performing an “almost Spanish” show.

Having already mastered his act in French and German, he will be once again adding to his linguistic armory

Izzard’s comedy career began in the early 1980s in London, where he worked as a street performer before moving on to gigs at the famous Comedy Store club. In the 1990s he worked his way into the nation’s consciousness thanks to TV work, as well as ever-bigger stand-up tours.

Since then he has become something of an unstoppable force, breaking the US with solo performances at the Hollywood Bowl and a sell-out run at Madison Square Garden. He has also carved out a film career, appearing in Ocean’s Twelve and Thirteen alongside Brad Pitt and George Clooney, as well as Tom Cruise World War II movie Valkyrie.

In recent years Izzard has raised nearly two million pounds for UK charities, thanks to his self-set challenge of running 43 marathons in 51 days in 2009.

His comedy routines are famed for their rambling, stream-of-consciousness style, as well as for Izzard’s own cross-dressing. Drawing on influences such as Monty Python, he also peppers his routines with impersonations, mime and mimicry.

Eddie Izzard – Force Majeure en inglés... y (poco a poco) español. Various dates in November Café Teatre Llantiol, Barcelona. See www.barcelonacomedyfestival.com for more information and to buy tickets. Various dates in December in Ancora, Madrid. See www.madridcomedyfestival.com for more information and to buy tickets.