The Isle of Man Arts Council is delighted to announce that comedian, actor, author and cultural trailblazer Suzy Eddie Izzard will be the special guest for the 2026 Annual Lecture, taking place at the Gaiety Theatre on Monday 21st September 2026.
One of the most celebrated comics of her generation, Suzy Eddie Izzard has captivated audiences since the early nineties with her boundary-pushing, brilliantly surreal stand-up and an equally stellar career in film, television, and theatre. Her world-renowned shows, including Unrepeatable, Definite Article, Glorious and Dress to Kill, have earned her a New York Drama Desk Award and two Emmy Awards. In 2010, Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story received an Emmy Award nomination. Her autobiography, Believe Me, became a bestseller on both the Sunday Times and New York Times lists.
With an extensive list of credits behind her including Stephen Frears' Victoria & Abdul (opposite Dame Judi Dench), Oceans Twelve AND Thirteen, Six Minutes to Midnight, TV’s Hannibal, Treasure Island, and the Emmy winning Lost Christmas, Suzy Eddie Izzard has an equally stellar reputation as a film, television, and stage actor. Most recently, Suzy has made a triumphant transition from comedy to classical drama with her one-person production of Shakespeare's Hamlet, direct from critically acclaimed, triple-extended runs in New York, Chicago, and London. In the production, Izzard plays 23 different characters on a bare stage, with the show's world tour continuing into 2026.
A tireless humanitarian, Suzy has completed marathons around the world, raising over £4 million for Sport Relief. During the 2021 lockdown she undertook an extraordinary challenge, 31 virtual marathons and 31 streamed gigs in 31 days, in support of her Make Humanity Great Again campaign. The 2026 Annual Lecture will offer audiences a rare and intimate look into the life of one of Britain's most multi-faceted creative figures and will include the opportunity to put questions directly to Suzy.
Chair of the Isle of Man Arts Council, Mrs Sarah Maltby MHK, said: “Suzy Eddie Izzard is one of the most fearlessly creative and endlessly fascinating figures in British cultural life, a performer who has continually reinvented herself and refused to be defined by convention. Following the outstanding success of our previous lectures, we are thrilled to have Suzy joining us as our guest speaker for 2026.”
All tickets for the event will go on sale at 10am on Monday 22nd June via the VillaGaiety website: www.villagaiety.com/suzyeddieizzard (please note: the booking link will not go live until Monday morning)
As part of the Isle of Man Arts Council's subsidised ticketing programme, tickets in the Amphitheatre and the Gallery are priced at £10.00. As in previous years, seats in the Circle are priced at £35.00, Stalls at £30.00, and Boxes at £100.00.
