OE INTERVIEW
Interview with Eddie Izzard Last term, we had the opportunity to interview Eddie Izzard, a stand-up comedian and OE. We spoke about her life at Eastbourne College and her career ambitions. Here’s what she had to say: Who inspired you to become a comedian? Monty Python really. They were very crazy and off the wall. Originally, I wanted to be an actor but they didn’t give me any parts at school. You had to be tall to get a role and I wasn’t tall or very good. But I did once play the Nazi in ‘Cabaret the Musical’ and it was my roles here at Eastbourne College that really launched me into my acting career and gave me ing, far away, and we tried to be bad kids but I the confidence to think that I could do it. wasn’t very good and I have some good memories Were you the class clown and always on stage at from there too. school? Is being an MP still on your political agenda? Ish. There was a guy called Trevor White and he Absolutely. I will be an MP. I can’t guarantee it but was funnier than I was. But in Chemistry A-level I am relentless and I will keep standing in an there was a teacher called Dr Edmundson and he election till I get it. If the public is willing, I will be taught in a very slow and understandable way. I found I could throw in suggestions and I upped my an MP. That should be interesting! hit rate in Chemistry. I consciously thought ‘I can Why were you a remainer and is that still the case? use this for training in comedy’. My brother Mark If you analyse humanity, you will see that we graduhad done exactly the same thing. The teacher was perfect for throw-in comedy, so I sort of became the ally learn to work together and live together, for example the United Kingdom with the Ireland situaclass clown. I was more the class wit. I used it to tion. Gradually, you come together and you get betimpress girls and then one day a girl said ‘I didn’t even know you existed until this term’ and I thought ter situations and life works in a better way. The ex‘This comedy thing is working’. I got a B in chemis- treme right wing idea of pulling away encourages people to hate other people. I just don’t think that’s try A-level. the way forward for humanity. I think the 21st CenWhat is your best memory from the College? tury will be a coming-of-age for humanity. I think this century will either make it a fair world for eveMy best memory was from doing performances. Comedy varies; one part I played had a helmet with ryone or we are going to wipe ourselves off the planet. The stakes are that heavy because Covid is a visor and a teacher advised me to tie a piece of string and use that to open and close it. I did this in out there, it could be a chemical weapon but who Shakespeare and it got huge laughs. It was a village knows. We had Sars before, Hong Kong flu, Spanish flu and these bubonic plagues will keep happening. tavern scene and I was trying to drink beer and I couldn’t get to the visor and it went up and I drank If we are not learning to work together, vaccine and medical equality is not possible. In order for everyand then down again. And it just killed, it was the first time I had a really enormous laugh. Old Pennell one to have a fair life, we have to learn to work tohouse had a reputation. It was an old rickety build- gether. If you track the history of humanity, what we
