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