Eddie Izzard

It would be something of an achievement not to have heard of Eddie Izzard. You may know him best for his surreal, rambling comedy, his serious acting roles, such as with Minnie Driver in The Riches, or most recently his crazy fundraiser for Sport Relief. Eddie Iz Running saw him running more than 1,000 miles this year across the country. The total raised is still to be announced but Eddie's hoping to raise a "silly amount of money" according to his website.

However you love him most, he’s grown in recent years to proper celebrity status, both here and in the US, where he’s starred in an increasingly impressive array of commercially successful epics, from Ocean’s Twelve to Valkyrie. And so, with a back catalogue that would make many a Hollywood-er jealous, it’s a welcome treat for fans to see him return to the platform which made him famous. World tour Stripped takes him throughout the world, finishing up ever-so glamourously in L.A., but doesn’t forget to stop off in Aberdeen (4 Nov) and Glasgow (10-11 Nov) on its way.

Expect meandering episodes of comedy tales, drifting into the fair lands of surrealism, through the mountains of Monty Python and into the galaxy that is Izzard. And look! A whole preview which didn’t mention the fact he occasionally cross-dresses! Oh...