Dress to Kill
Vision Video · 1998 · 1 h 54 min
A surreal, history-obsessed hour of pantomime and empire-building.
Eddie Izzard treats world history as a giant playground, reducing global empires and major religious shifts into absurd pantomime. Dress to Kill takes grand concepts like the Spanish Inquisition, the Reformation, and British colonialism and filters them through a whimsical, conversational lens. The act spins massive premises out of mundane ultimatums (“Cake or death?”) or the bureaucratic mechanics of imperialism (“Do you have a flag?”). Izzard jumps from detailing Martin Luther’s complaints on the Wittenberg Cathedral door to describing the movie Speed entirely in French, pausing to outline the logistical hurdles of a transvestite military brigade.
Filmed in 1998 at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, this performance served as Izzard’s stateside breakthrough. Originally a touring show, it aired on HBO in 1999 and picked up two Emmy Awards the following year. Izzard was establishing a highly specific persona as an “executive transvestite,” presenting dense historical observations with casual grace. The specific rhythms of this hour remain heavily quoted by audiences who memorized the act.
The set list
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European history and castles versus American landmarks
Explaining that Europe is 'where the history comes from' and joking that Europeans just long for a bungalow rather than old castles.
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Executive transvestite brigade in the military
Proposing an army battalion of transvestites armed with fantastic makeup and fantastic guns.
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The Church of England fundamentalism and 'Cake or Death'
Satirizing Anglican extremism by noting its threats would merely amount to demanding people have tea and cake with the vicar or choose 'cake or death.'
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British history, Henry VIII, and Martin Luther
Retelling the Reformation with the Pope speaking Italian on a Vespa, Henry VIII voiced as Sean Connery, God voiced as James Mason, and Martin Luther speaking a multi-language gibberish.
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The Great Escape geography
Mocking Steve McQueen's absurdly rapid journey from Poland to the Swiss border via Holland, Africa, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
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Engelbert Humperdinck stage name and death prank
Riffing on discarded variants of the singer's name and teasing the audience with a false report of his death before revealing they were gullible.
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The closer (spoiler). Show it
Failing to lose virginity
Recounting the personal, awkward story of how Izzard managed not to lose virginity.
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Recapping the plot of Speed in French
Encore routine translating the action movie into rudimentary schoolboy French phrases.
How it plays
- Tone
- Surreal, cerebral, whimsical, and irreverent.
- On stage
- An 'executive transvestite' blending high glamour (mascara, silk mandarin smock, heels) with surrealist, ideas-based humor, self-deprecating wit, and sudden digressions.
- Pace
- Rapid-fire delivery, exceptional rhythm, full-speed tangents, physical mime, and playful audience manipulation.
- About
- European versus American concepts of history, British history, religion, and the Reformation, Gender identity and transvestism, Cinema and pop culture, Colonialism and World War II
What the critics said
Universally acclaimed for its cerebral brilliance, mastery of rhythm, and distinct comedic voice, with reviewers praising Izzard's ability to turn obscure historical topics into hilarious, accessible stand-up.
In the room: Energetic, highly receptive, and captivated by Izzard's crowd control and rhythmic digressions.
Backstory
Part of a global tour where Izzard performed openly as an 'executive transvestite' wearing makeup, heels, and a silk smock while exploring historical and religious themes.
Details
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