Edinburgh is famous for its history and its comedy; Elizabeth and Raleigh provides both in a medley of cross-dressing, singing, and slideshows. At first we are welcomed by Sir Walter Raleigh (Miles Jupp), promoter of those two bastions of civilization; the potato and smoking. Raleigh’s opening monologue provides a brief overview of personal triumphs (through that quintessentially medieval medium of slideshow) and his plan to woo the ‘virgin’ queen and gain her hand in marriage. This falters at times and Jupp’s failed attempts at razor sharp delivery have little to fall back on in what amounts to a performance lacking energy and vivacity.
However Elizabeth (Simon Munnery) enters and the pace swiftly picks up, any member of the audience not from Englandshire being verbally attacked in the process. ‘To the Italians I say this: Rome wasn’t built in a day; it could have been if you talked less with your arms.’ Funny at first, this predictable stereotyping soon becomes tired and strikes of a laziness in the writing. Indeed much of the play conjures up images of a public school-boy humour complete with the cross dressing, crude sexual jokes and xenophobia mixed in with glimmers of wit and intelligence. The cavorting tone is also severed by an ending which becomes bizarrely serious. Surely this isn’t actually meant to be a comment on Elizabeth’s failure to conceive a child? The audience are thus left to file out baffled in what amounts to a very mediocre performance.
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Bosco239, youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Brighton Argus
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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John Robins, Comedian
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com