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.
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Bosco239, youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Stuart, Chortle
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Idrie, Youtube
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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World Without End, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com