Eddie Izzard once ran 43 marathons in 51 days. Her solo turn as Hamlet is a similar feat

11 Jun 2026, 04:41 by John Shand · WAtoday

12.42pm

Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet ★★★½

By John Shand

Playhouse, Opera House, June 10, until June 21

Eddie Izzard loves a challenge. Her 131 marathons since 2009, raising money for charity, began with completing 43 of them in 51 days, despite no previous distance running. That gives context to her 140-minute version of Hamlet, playing all roles. For most actors, just playing the Dane is challenge enough.

It’s a monstrous achievement in terms of memory and stamina, and as entertainment it seldom flags. In quality of performance, it’s more variable.

After her marathon efforts, Eddie Izzard performing the whole of Hamlet by herself is not that surprising.

Attired in clothes that cunningly imply a period setting without defining it, Izzard appears on a black-box stage with unchanging white light. The only theatrical embellishment to this production, directed by Selina Cadell, is the occasional interplay of two shadows on the backdrop to create the illusion of two interlocutors.