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