Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – A mini British invasion at Greenwich House: Eddie Izzard in GREAT EXPECTATIONS and Leo Reich in LITERALLY WHO CARES?!

• By drediman
• February 21, 2023
• No Comments

Recently at the Greenwich House Theater, I encountered a pair of British comedians with a penchant for the alternative. Here are my thoughts on this mini British invasion at the historic Off-Broadway venue.

EDDIE IZZARD: GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Greenwich House Theater
Closed

First up was the iconic transgender comedian Eddie Izzard in a one-person rendition of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations (RECOMMENDED). In short, the production — which just wrapped up performances after an extended winter run at the Greenwich House Theater — was an evening of solid storytelling. Somewhat surprisingly, the typically nonconforming Izzard acquitted himself to an exhaustive, mostly straightforward account of the beloved Dickens novel in which he easily (almost too casually?) took on the work’s sprawling Rolodex of characters. For me, the charms of the solo show revealed themselves almost imperceptibly in its smaller passing moments. A glance here and an anticipatory pause there were all it took to get a glimpse of the subversive entertainer buried beneath the unexpectedly staunch traditionalism of this theatrical incarnation of Great Expectations.

LEO REICH: LITERALLY WHO CARES?!
Greenwich House Theater
Through March 11

After Izzard’s Great Expectations packed up and shipped out, the Greenwich House Theater immediately pivoted to welcome its next tenant, the queer 23-year-old comedian Leo Reich, who is currently starring in a slippery solo show entitled Literally Who Cares?! (RECOMMENDED). A hit at the Edinburgh Fringe and in London, the piece straddles both stand-up comedy and theatrical monologue. Although there’s been a noticeable uptick in this kind of hybrid entertainment, Reich distinguishes himself with his exceedingly quick wit, unfiltered queer content, and relentlessly unapologetic egotism. He also comes armed with a brash confidence that belies his years and a handful of extremely catchy pop ditties penned by Toby Marlow (of Six fame), showcasing the young Brit’s savviness as an all-around entertainer. Although just as eye catching as his forebear Eddie Izzard, the fiercely talented Reich savagely inverts the Dickensian moral compass of Izzard’s Great Expectations by instead choosing to expose the “nothing matters” mentality and shamelessly commoditized existence of today’s youths in the face of a dire-looking future.