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