Eddie Izzard, always the man with the plan (even if that plan does include knee-high fishnets), is thinking of setting up his own comedy festival. Crafted in the manner of the millions of musical festivals that dot the cultural landscape, this idea was perpetuated by Izzard’s concern that comedians may be getting shortchanged when relagated to tents at outdoor, music-centered fests; and thus, wants to make the world safe for the funnymen and women out there.
On DigitalSpy.com, Izzard said: “I think comedy has to be separate from music festivals. I want us to do comedy festivals. Because it’s a ‘mind’ gig, and at music festivals everyone’s completely off their faces so if and when they come to the comedy tent, we’re always a poor relation.
“You never get good fees at the festivals because it’s all about the music, which is great but comedy should have its own. That’s what I want to get out and do.”
South by Southwest in Austin, TX, Bonaroo in Manchester, TN, All Points West in Jersey City, NJ are a few of the music fests that currently incorporate comedy into their programming, the latter two in outdoor settings. There’s more and more comedy-dedicated festivals launching each year, so that’s always a good thing. But each year, it seems comedy is added to outdoor music festivals as well. What do you think? Is it a good idea? Should there be outdoor comedy festivals just for comedy? Let us know in the comments section.
