Comic to portray 19 characters in retelling Dickens' classic

Eddie Izzard’s solo version of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is heading to the West End later this year.

The six-week London run – in which the comedian will portray 19 characters – follows an Off-Broadway New York season last year.

There the Wall Street Journal praised the ‘finely-tuned rendition’ and the New York Stage Review said the stand-up kept the audience ‘rapt as kindergartners at story hours’ – although the New York Times was a bit more circumspect, saying: ‘Izzard’s accomplishment here is impressive, if not without hints at the strain of the effort.’

News of the run at the Garrick Theatre comes days after Izzard – who publicly adopted she/her pronouns three years ago – said she would also be going by the name of Suzy, as well as Eddie, in future.

Izzard, who is dyslexic, had never read a great work of literature. But knowing that she was exactly 150 years younger than Dickens – born on February 7 1962 and 1812 respectively –  decided to start by reading Great Expectations. She was then inspired to develop it as a solo performance for the stage.

The novel was adapted for the stage by Izzard’s older  brother Mark – a translator who previously helped translate his sibling’s stand-up into  French, German and Spanish.

It is directed by Selina Cadell. She said: ‘I find the combination of Eddie Izzard’s idiosyncratic wit and Charles Dickens’ ingenious storytelling irresistible and am looking forward to sharing it with UK audiences.’

Izzard has previously told the story of orphan Pip, the eccentric Miss Havisham and the beautiful but cold Estella at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, West London.

The Garrick run spans May 24 to July 1 and tickets have just gone on sale here.

Published: 9 Mar 2023