Eddie pulls out over poor ticket sales

Eddie Izzard has cancelled a date in his current Sexie tour in the face of poor ticket sales.

While his shows have been selling out across the world, interest has been sluggish in the New Zealand city of Palmerston North.

Tour managers therefore cancelled his August 11 performance there in favour of an extra - more lucrative - night in the country's biggest city, Auckland.

The manager of the Palmerston North's theatre, Regent On Broadway, admitted that sales "weren't that good".

Charles Forbes told the website Stuff that locals might not be aware of Izzard's international reputation, and were put off by the "quite high" ticket price of $63 (£23).

"They needed a full house to make the show pay," he said.

The agricultural city of Palmerston North, on the North Island, is home to around 72,000 people, and boasts a young population - even its slogan is "Young Heart, Easy Living".

It was named after the Third Viscount Palmerston (Henry John Temple), who had been British Prime Minister more than 20 years before the settlement was founded in 1877.

Published: 21 Jul 2003