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1. Childhood

Happy childhood memories sit beside a great sadness and big changes for the family. Eddie Izzard reads from her memoir. From 2017.

When Eddie Izzard was six, she and her brother Mark lost their mother. That day, she lost her childhood too.

From early childhood memories of happy days running with a gang of local kids, doing naughty-ish things in Bangor, County Down, to months of loneliness and isolation at boarding school.

Eddie Izzard has experienced loss in a way that no child should at such a tender age. And this, as well as struggling both with dyslexia and also trying to understand her gender and sexuality issues at a time when they were not openly discussed, leads to a fascinating insight into the early life of one of Britain's most idiosyncratic and cerebral of performers.

Eddie takes us on a journey through her life - one during which she has discovered much about herself along the way, and come to terms with not fitting into the box that most of us like to put people in.

With a nod to the surreal humour and disarming candour of her shows, and some occasional digressions, Believe Me tells the story of a child losing their mother yet who鈥檚 risen to become a star of comedy and drama, a leading advocate of total clothing rights, and an extreme runner of marathons.

Written and read by Eddie Izzard

Director: Lizzie Davies
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for 大象传媒 Radio 4, first broadcast in June 2017.

15 minutes

Last on

Tue 8 Feb 2022 02:00

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Credits

Role Contributor
Reader Eddie Izzard
Author Eddie Izzard
Abridger Jill Waters
Director Lizzie Davies
Producer Jill Waters

Broadcasts

  • Mon 26 Jun 2017 09:45
  • Tue 27 Jun 2017 00:30
  • Mon 28 Dec 2020 14:00
  • Tue 29 Dec 2020 02:00
  • Mon 7 Feb 2022 14:00
  • Tue 8 Feb 2022 02:00