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