CHOICE: Stand up, Izzard

The fact that Eddie Izzard (right) doesn't do television is almost as big a cliche as "comedy is the new rock'n'roll". It is, nevertheless, a remarkable phenomenon. Without regular living-room exposure, the stand-up has still achieved a huge live following, which has happily filled out West End venues for months on end. Fans can now catch Izzard on a national tour, opening at Beck Theatre, Hayes, Middlesex, this week. It doesn't matter what subject he's riffing on - bees; Custard Creams; cats dri lling for oil; the difficulties of learning French at school; how you always know which Star Trek crew-member is about to be zapped because he's wearing a different-coloured jersey from the rest; why are Daleks so scary when all you have to do to avoid t hem is run upstairs? The man has presence - and that is something television cameras just can't capture.

Beck Theatre, Hayes (081-561 8371) 8pm 1-2 Feb £10.50/£11.50