Circle

Eddie Izzard builds an elaborate historical sandbox and casually tosses modern absurdities into it. The standout premise imagines Darth Vader trying to get a meal in the Death Star cafeteria, reducing a sci-fi villain to an annoyed figure demanding basic respect. The overarching theme is loosely tied to religion and world history, allowing her to jump from Pope Pius XII to Jesus interacting with dinosaurs. Instead of setting up traditional punchlines, the humor comes from watching historical figures and pop culture deities deal with mundane frustrations.

Filmed at The Town Hall in New York City in 2000 and released in 2002, the performance arrived right after her breakthrough, Dress to Kill. Decked out in black leather pants and a diamond necklace, Izzard relies heavily on her signature pantomime. The audience has to keep up as a bit about the Spanish Inquisition rapidly mutates into a routine about monkeys firing guns at Charlton Heston’s house.