Eddie Izzard Excels In Solo Performance Of ‘The Tragedy Of Hamlet’
Image: Photo credit: Daniel Boud
The “one actor, every role” trend in theatre has been extremely popular in recent years, surely popularised in no small part to the effort of Australia’s own Kip Williams with his critically acclaimed adaptations of Dracula and The Picture of Dorian Grey.
Retrofitting iconic works like Shakespeare to such a framework feels like a natural progression of this format, and in the very capable hands of a performer like Eddie Izzard, a tale like Hamlet can come to life in a way rarely ever seen before.
Unlike these other more opulent productions that utilise bedazzling stagecraft and pre-recorded footage, Izzard’s take on Shakespeare’s singular story of revenge is well and truly just her performing every role in Hamlet. There’s not much in the way of lighting, zero set and flourishes are kept to a minimum – the spotlight is entirely on Izzard, and the fact that she shines brighter on it is a serious commendation of her skills as a performer.
It’s always a struggle to bring a new interpretation or aesthetic to the work of Shakespeare, and so Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet practically eschews any particular look at all. Apart from its performer’s wonderful costume, everything about this version is tailored to focus entirely on Izzard stepping into the role of every character in this play.
Given its distinct lack of flourishes, the performer at the core of this show kind of has to be sensational – and luckily, Eddie Izzard is a splendid fit for such a task. She begins the show not in character, but by shattering the fourth wall in a way that evokes how Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed. She soon settles into character(s) and provides a wholly unique way to experience Hamlet that is nonetheless enrapturing.
Izzard shines brighter than the spotlight upon her
It’s a serious testament to both Izzard as a performer and the enduring relevance of Shakespeare’s work that this show is so good. These have always been words written to be performed, and hearing them from Izzard as she rapidly switches characters makes the show whiz by.
Not many actors get the chance to deliver all three of the play’s soliloquies, but Izzard handles them all with seemingly effortless gusto and grace. Yet even outside of the more serious elements, the play’s humour is also delivered in a way that smartly adjusts the humour to fit the one-actor format.
The only real criticism I harbour for Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet is that I do think the various roles of the play could serve to be a smidge more separate. While Izzard is a funny, warm and dramatically affecting performer, I occasionally found it a bit difficult to understand which character was which in this show.
While I’ve no complaints about Izzard’s magnetism as a performer, I do wish that each of the characters felt slightly more enunciated from one another. I’m fairly familiar with Hamlet, but not enough to be able to tell by only lines of dialogue who is who – and there were times where, given the simplicity of the rest of the show, it was hard to tell who was who.
Alas, it matters very little when Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet is a most impressive act of performance and control over the stage. Izzard is magnetic as all the characters in this iconic play, and she shows us that there’s always a new way to put on the works of Shakespeare that’ll be quite unlike any other version you’ve seen before.
Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet is at the Sydney Opera House from 9 – 21 June 2026.
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