Reveling in the rambling genius of Eddie Izzard

British comedian Eddie Izzard's Force Majeure comedy tour, which will encompass more than two dozen countires in more than two years, made three Bay Area stops: Santa Rosa, San Francisco and San Jose. Photos by Andy Hollingworth

Eddie Izzard was back in town this week with his Force Majeure tour. His San Francisco stop at the Golden Gate Theatre offered congratulations to audience members for being the smartest audiences in town (because they were there, naturally), and allowed fans the opportunity to offer depthless adoration to Izzard, the queenly king of the non-sequitur.

I reviewed Force Majeure for the San Francisco Chronicle.

You don’t go to an Izzard show for jokes you get to re-tell at work the next day. An Izzard ramble can begin with Oliver Cromwell, jog over to humanity going backward (“Take note, Tea Party,” Izzard said. “Here we are marching backward for Jesus.”), dive into the Emperor Constantine streamlining the pantheon of gods and end with Buddha, enjoying a delicious Indian meal and telling his followers that every time a gong sounds, a Buddhist angel gets its wings. We know this, he says, from the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life This Time Around.”

Read the full review here.

I also interviewed Izzard prior to his arrival in the Bay Area. Here's a taste.

If Izzard is sounding like an optimist, there’s a reason. In five years, he’s going to do his part in making the world a better place by going into politics. He remains resolute in his decision to run for mayor of London or become a member of Parliament in 2020.“I’m inspired by Sen. Al Franken,” Izzard says, referring to the comedian turned Democratic senator from Minnesota. “He initially won by something like 312 votes and six years later by 200,000 votes. He’s a workhorse, not a show horse. He has been good for his state, good for his country.”In the most recent British election, Izzard campaigned in 62 constituencies for the Labour Party, but the election did not go his way. “It’s not good to be on the wrong side of that,” he says. “But you have to learn from whatever happens, however people vote. I know I’m trying to do a good job on my end.”

Read the full interview here.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONEddie Izzard's Force Majeure continues through June 20 at the Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St., San Francisco. Tickets are $61-$94, subject to change. Call 888-746-1799 or visit www.shnsf.com. Monday-Tuesday, June 22-23 at the California Theatre, 345 S. First St., San Jose. Tickets are $47.50-$69. Call 800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.