The Metro - 15th August 2007
Johnson and Boswell - Late But Live
*****
by ALAN CHADWICK - Wednesday, August 15, 2007

'Aaaaaaand now, all the way from England… Dr Samuel Johnson!' says a bewigged James Boswell (Miles Jupp, on top form as the 18th-century biographer), acting as MC and warm-up act in Stewart Lee's comedy theatre show. 'Didn't I tell you he was a funny man ladies and gentlemen?' says Boswell, having cajoled the legendary lexicographer and critic, played by Simon Munnery, into delivering his famous line: 'A man who is tired of London is tired of life' to the exclamation mark of boom tching! on the drums.

The reason for their appearance 230 years after they last toured Scotland is a book launch designed to flog their travel guides to a new audience. Johnson for the most part spends the evening patronisingly berating the Scots ('I am Dr Johnson. You are not. You are the Scots… and have need for words, particularly consonants').

Later he'll also play the mouthie to the accompaniment of the skirl of the pipes. And so it goes on, in a show riddled with literary conceit: not only of the men of letters themselves, but also the playful nonsense of Lee's set-up – one which, it should be noted, is side-splittingly funny and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Some of the jokes are over-egged, but as an antidote to a hard day's Fringing (a word Johnson would no doubt insist doesn't exist because it doesn't feature in his Dictionary), it's the perfect tonic. And, as such, just what the Doctor (not to mention his sidekick) ordered.

Until Aug 26 (not 20), Traverse Theatre, 10.30pm (V15). www.traverse.co.uk