Eddie Izzard is set to return to Australian stages in mid-2026 with her daring one-woman performance of The Tragedy of Hamlet, taking on every role in Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.
The Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated performer will bring the acclaimed production to Arts Centre Melbourne from 30 June to 12 July 2026.
After decades of bending artistic form through stand-up, multilingual performances and solo adaptations, Izzard now steps into perhaps her most ambitious challenge yet: playing all 23 characters from Hamlet entirely alone. Adapted by Mark Izzard and directed by Selina Cadell, the show presents Shakespeare’s iconic revenge tale on a bare stage, relying solely on voice, movement and storytelling.
Prince Hamlet’s grief and quest for vengeance unfold as Izzard shifts seamlessly between men and women, ghosts and fools, scholars and tyrants. It’s a bold return to the spirit of Shakespeare’s original productions, emphasising the text and the performer over spectacle or set.
“Hamlet is the pinnacle of complex and demanding characters,” Izzard has said of the project, describing her version as one designed to make Shakespeare accessible rather than intimidating.
Working closely with her brother Mark and Cadell, she has shaped a production that highlights the emotional core of the play, connecting centuries-old themes of love, power and mortality to a modern audience.
This marks Izzard’s second major solo theatrical venture, following her acclaimed Great Expectations, which toured New York and London to strong reviews. That earlier production proved her remarkable capacity to hold an audience through sheer charisma and stamina — skills refined over decades on the global comedy circuit.
Tickets for Eddie Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet go on sale Monday 10 November at 10am, with the Melbourne season offering the longest run of the Australian tour.
