The Comedy Café - 26/11/2010

Widow Twankey, Dame Trott, the Ugly Sisters - panto isn't panto without the presence of a Dame. Mother, step-sister, chief cook or in charge of a Chinese laundrette - these battleaxes and biddies are often broke or on the look out for a bloke. Traditionally played by men, they provide figures of fun key to the comedy of pantomime and their enduring appeal shows no sign of waning. So why do audiences and performers alike revel in the portrayal of these formidable matrons? In the company of theatre critic Mary Brennan and firm panto favourites, Ian and Janette Krankie, we ask if there's more than pure parody to these comic characters performed by men in petticoats. Pressured for time and inspiration, cameras roll as director Sarah Townsend films comedian Eddie Izzard as he struggles to create a successful comeback tour. Friends since early in their respective careers, Townsend's film captures a confessional Izzard as he delves into his personal life story for new material. A poignant revelation about the early tragedy which fuelled his desire to be a cross-dressing comic, it's also an inspiring tale of how tragedy can be turned into comedy through sheer determination - and talent. Sarah Townsend gives the Comedy Café access to the onstage and backstage life of the comedian in her film, "Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story".