COMEDIAN Eddie Izzard has spoken of his desire to make Bexhill a vibrant town as he returns for a surprise gig on Sunday.

The 54-year-old, who spent much of his childhood in the town, cited the De La Warr Pavilion - where he will perform - as a vital hub.

Describing Bexhill as a “retirement town” ahead of his stand-up gig, he said it was lacking “the vital mixture of young and old.”

He said: “I want Bexhill to be a vibrant town."

He added: “De La Warr has done a sterling job at putting on great bands and comedians. That never used to happen before, in my entire lifetime.”

The comedian promised an enjoyable evening on Sunday in a scenic location.

He said: “We’re going to have a barbecue, and I’m going to be performing between the two turrets outside the pavilion overlooking the sea. I will go on stage exactly at sunset. It’s going to be beautiful.”

Speaking to The Argus, he told how he moved to Sussex from South Wales aged seven and worked at the De La Warr for a spell as a teenager, selling ice-cream and tea from a service kiosk.

He said: “I made teas very badly. The first time I made one, the guy came back and said ‘that’s not tea’ and gave it back. He should have just told me how to make it, because I didn’t know.”

The comic attended local boarding schools St. Bedes and Eastbourne College, and he remembered the former in particular as a difficult time.

He said that he would not have boarded had his mother, Dorothy, not died the year before Izzard’s father relocated the family to Sussex.

He said: “Dad had his career going on, and there wasn’t much he could do. Before the age of 12 or 13 it is very tricky for young kinds to do that (board), and you can become very closed down within yourself. I had to rip myself back open again after that.”

He is an honorary patron of the pavilion, and has performed there many times. The proceeds from Sunday’s show go to the De La Warr Charitable Trust.

Tickets which are priced between £10 and £30 were still available as The Argus went to press.

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