Eddie Izzard's Great Expectations

In a daring self-challenge, Eddie Izzard set out to create a one-woman version of the Dickens classic Great Expectations, in which she would single-handedly lead the audience through this famous tale by embodying every character herself. After working with Eddie for years on her comedy tours, the theatrically-experienced Lightswitch team was the clear choice to help create this unique show.

As this play takes place on a unit set, our task was concentrated on marking the passage of time through subtle lighting shifts. Additionally, we took this as an opportunity to not only indicate where the characters were in time and space, but to track their emotional arcs throughout the story. In this way, the lighting of the production became its own entity, rising above simple stage lighting to become something alive and ever-shifting.

This was a large task for our team, who teched for nearly a week – and remained even after opening night – making subtle changes to achieve the precision we desired. The shallow height of the space originally posed a challenge, but we solved this issue by installing footlights inspired by old-fashioned theaters. The warm amber glow from these fixtures was so well-received that we ended up using them to track the arc of Miss Havisham’s character, lending her an additional vibrance that set her apart and developed her emotional journey beyond Eddie’s own brilliant acting.

Lightswitch’s solid existing relationship with Eddie spelled success on this project. Her trust in us as collaborators allowed our team to contribute to this storytelling experience in a subtle yet integral way. As Eddie led audiences through this classic tale, we kept the focus on her with gentle lighting that let the dialogue shine.

photography by Carol Rosegg