by Eddie Izzard
First published 2017
Eddie Izzard opens his story in Yemen, where he was born before his family moved through Ireland, Wales, and England. At six, he loses his mother. As a teenager, he abandons university and hits London's streets with a two-man escape act. When his partner takes vacation, Izzard creates a solo performance that launches his career. He develops surreal, stream-of-consciousness comedy that produces legendary bits like "Cake or Death?" and "Death Star Canteen." Performing in makeup and heels as a self-proclaimed "Executive Transvestite," he breaks traditional comedy molds while building audiences from London's West End to Wembley Stadium to Madison Square Garden. Now performing over 100 shows annually across twenty-eight countries, Izzard reflects on his rise with the same sharp wit that defines his stage work. He examines his childhood loss, his sexuality and coming out process, and his expansion into film, television, politics, and philanthropy. This memoir captures how personal tragedy and creative risk transformed a grieving child into one of comedy's most distinctive voices.
Genres: biography, autobiography, memoir, comedy
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-journey
Setting: England, Ireland, London, Wales, Yemen
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
348 pages · Hardcover · Blue Rider Press