Eddie Izzard in Belfast

I've just had to take a break from the relentless cheeriness of Sports Personality of the Year, to say well done Eddie Izzard. He's just been given a special award for his round Britain charity run, but if he felt any temptation to play the comic and steal the show – Eddie resisted. In fact, from his low key "performance", it looked as if the incredible 6 weeks running a marathon a day (!) has been a life changing event. Comedians easily reach a lot of unusual places these days but becoming an athlete after just 5 weeks training and being accepted as a peer by Britain's elite – that's an exceptional and inspiring achievement. There was only passing reference to his 1105 mile run at last night's Eddie show in Belfast's Odyssey Arena. I'm told it has a 6000 capacity – in any case it was completely stowed out.

It was classic Izzard – lateral, crazy and bold. What other transvestite comedian could come to a fundamentalist land of zero tolerance towards gays and perform an entire routine "disproving" the existence of God? Our friends Malachi and Maureen observed that if the audience was a typical cross section of the Northern Ireland population, more than half would be regular church-goers. And yet here they were laughing at the notion that any self respecting God would surely have turned up at the first moon landing. Last time I saw the Bangor boy (Eddie used to live just a few miles from our house in Belfast when he was 5) he had just triumphed over an equally awkward audience in stern Stornoway and then laid-back Ullapool. Relaxing after an utterly bizarre and wonderful gig, during which he removed several paintings in the Ceilidh Place clubhouse to reveal a plethora of thermostats ("has no-one told the Scots that air moves?") everyone else including my Eddie worshipping brother Graeme fell asleep. After attempting to liberate a final bottle from behind the locked courtesy bar and breaking a tiny cocktail table in the process (sorry Jean!) we realised it was time to call a halt. Mr Izzard's parting shot was a slightly unexpected question – what's your favourite cocktail dress? Not having that kind of a social life (even twelve years ago) I was at a loss. "Cleavage darling, that's your best feature. And mine... legs. Box pleats – I love them. And so saying the inexhaustible Mr I siddled off, kicking his way through imaginary box pleats, ruffles and satin. In fact we'd had a long conversation about the island of Eigg – and several years later Eddie was performing in Edinburgh the same night as a big Eigg benefit concert. We sent a message along – and the messenger came back with a cheque for the appeal. Nice one.

One wee thing. It took almost an hour to straighten up after that Odyssey gig. Am I the only six footer who finds auditorium seating excruciating? Meantime more helpful knee related hints from strangers – MBT shoes. Opinions folks?

Comments

[mark]

Capacity audience it might have been at the start - there were certainly a number of free seats after the interval, including those of me and my 7 friends who, between had not laughed out liud once in teh first half. We just couldn't see the humour in this tour - no offence was being taken at the atheistic jibes btw, it just wasn't particularly funny material. Struck us the marathon running had taken priority over the scripting. Av ery dispoointing evening as were all fans before, but no longer, he is tired and humourless.

[lesley riddoch]

Actually, I think you've got a point. I meant to write about Eddie in Belfast but found more to enthuse about in a chance meeting many years ago instead. Even when he bounced out at the start he had a rather "locked and loaded" grimace instead of a smile. Mind you having only seen him in a tiny venue of 50 before, and not being a regular at these mega ampitheatre venues, I imagined the size was to blame for making everything seem more remote and flatter. Hmm.

[Allen]

Have to agree with the disappointing comments - I and my friends have been a fan of Eddie for years and have always enjoyed his humour but found the gig in the Odyssey flat and unfunny. After the first half of the show we were considering packing it in but went back in the hope the 2nd half would improve - the jury is still out on whether it did or not. Some flashes of genius but not many compared to other of his shows.The discussion on the way home - more about the lack of laughs than how great the night had been. Also feel the PA in the arena was a contributing factor - we were seated at the back directly opposite the stage and felt a lot of what was said got lost, had to concentrate hard just to catch what was being said. Eddie's comment about why he did this job - Cash!- was telling on Saturday night.