Thu. January 22, 2026
By Jerry Nunn
Suzy Eddie Izzard Talks Shakespeare N'Stuff [Forsooth] raised funds for two nights on January 16 and 17 at Navy Pier. The British performer has become an expert on William Shakespeare after playing multiple roles in his legacy of work and fans were eager to hear more at a rare audience participation event.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater artistic director Edward Hall moderated the discussions and took a casual approach by mixing in several off-the-cuff questions with attendees scattered throughout the venue.
Each night began with Hall introducing Izzard and highlighting her accomplishments, such as running 27 marathons in 27 days. The show was rescheduled because of Izzard's recent knee injury, but it was clear she was on the mend.
Suzy shared personal stories, such as her mother passing away when she was six years old and her stance on religion. Izzard is now an atheist; she stated that “taking God out of the equation” has liberated her.
She has embraced being trans and this fact was greeted with supportive applause and snaps. Like many people, she came out later in life and is still evolving. She adopted the name Suzy in 2023, but had originally claimed it at the age of 10.
She addressed her adventures while performing in other countries, which has led to speaking French, German and Spanish to different degrees. This has paid off in reaching diverse audiences across the globe and allowed her to create fresh comedic material in other languages.
Someone from the congregation asked about influences and Izzard responded with a British radio program, The Goon Show and the comedians from Monty Python.
The real gift from the esteemed performer was the acknowledgment of the current state of the world, saying, “This too shall pass,” and later described herself as “a glass-half-full person,” which helps her adapt to a bleak environment. Suzy suggested not only turning around a bad situation once, but to try a “double positive” and be twice as nice to others.
This outlook on life gave hope to Izzard's loyal followers seated in the room and proved that the possibility of politics in Suzy's future will make an impact. Whether it is “to be or not to be” remains to be seen.
Each night closed with a VIP party complete with drinks, desserts and a chance to chat with the legend. The Chicago Shakespeare Theater organization presented Suzy Eddie Izzard with The Spirit of Shakespeare Award on January 16, 2026, for her accomplishments in her career.
For Izzard's Hamlet tour, head to eddieizzardhamlet.com. Subscribe to chicagoshakes.com for up-to-date information on future shows, such as One Knight Only! Sir Ian McKellen on January 30 and Hamlet beginning on January 31.
For the complete article (non-reader view with multimedia and original links),
Tap here.
Head to the local LGBTQ news, events, directory and people network at ChicagoPride.com