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