Circle

Album Review

British comic Eddie Izzard is many things, not the least of which is wickedly funny. The fact that he dresses in drag has always been a bit of an anomaly in regard to his comedic material in that it has so little to do with his act. Mostly, it serves as a kind of comedic "shock and awe" strategy to force his audiences to lighten up. Which is why the CD version of Circle is both an effective and inadequate document of his live show. On one hand, it allows you to fully focus on his dry wit, deep historical references, and train-of-thought jokes without the distraction of a slightly barrel-chested man in pumps. On the other hand, a slightly barrel-chested man in pumps is quite funny. That said, anyone familiar with Izzard's irreverent, intelligent brand of absurdist humor will find Circle highly enjoyable. Included on this performance from June 26, 2000, in New York City are Izzard's brilliant riffs on how the Pope is akin to Batman; how guns don't kill people, people kill people, and so will monkeys if they have guns; and how Jesus might have been a prophet to the dinosaurs. Much in the tradition of Monty Python, many Americans won't "get it," but that fact only heightens the pleasure for those who do.