Five years since his last live tour, Eddie Izzard is taking a break from his Hollywood filming schedule to tackle the ambitious topic of all human civilisation and the existence of God. Stripped - a reference to the fact that he has hung up the dresses for this tour to appear in 'blokey mode', with only the merest smidgen of eyeliner - has already played 34 cities in the US before transferring for this limited West End run. You have to imagine that the explicit atheism which underpins the show must have had significantly greater shock value in the Deep South.
After a rather flat opening and a few routine observations on the differences between Macs and PCs, he launches into the more inspired surreal riffs on the evolution of Man. What was before the Stone Age, when we hadn't even learned to use stone, he wonders, miming a man trying to slap a bison to death. Ably demonstrating the value of Wikipedia, he then races through Noah, Moses and the rest of human history in a dazzling display of free association, casually tossing out some glorious images - in 1066, embroiderers were the photojournalists of the day, he asserts, imagining the Bayeux tapestry being made on the battlefield.
There's a glimpse into the make-up of Izzard's audience, too, when the first piece of material to provoke a spontaneous round of applause is all about the infuriating complexities of Latin grammar, ending in a frustrated: 'Quod the fuck?'
Izzard's last UK show, Sexie, played in 7,000-seater arenas, so it's enjoyable to see him return to a more intimate and understated style of performance, while ditching the stilettoes has given him back a freedom of movement that makes him seem more comfortable and energetic on stage. Stripped is a reassurance to Izzard's grassroots fans that he hasn't lost his edge to Hollywood, even if he has (temporarily) lost his miniskirt.
