It’d be hard, and perhaps unfair, to talk about Stewart Lee’s follow-up to 2007’s historical comedy Johnson & Boswell without mentioning ‘the other’ alternative Elizabethan comedy. But for all its defects, one thing is certain – though Simon Munnery’s portrayal of Elizabeth I is quite different from Miranda Richardson’s in Blackadder II, it’s still as good, if not better.
Written by Lee, this two-hander between Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh (played by comedian Miles Jupp) involves Raleigh’s attempts to persuade the Virgin Queen to marry him, who in turn reckons he’s just a self-serving charlatan and intends to chop off his head. Munnery’s regal entrance is marvellous to behold – walking straight down the middle of the auditorium, over chairs and audience members, in an enormous, bedraggled vaudevillian frightwig/greasepaint ensemble. ‘The queen only walks in straight lines!’ explains Sir Walter to the audience. ‘You may laugh, but you do so with soiled underpants,’ she informs them.
Munnery effectively ropes the monarch into his repertoire of twisted, angry loners. His Elizabeth is an embittered lush – the missing of cues and bumping into furniture somehow adding to the effect – out to punish the creepy, maid-shagging Sir Walter.
Jupp is less effective as Raleigh, although, it should be said, he has less to work with. The pace and tone is strangely flat throughout, except at the end, where we witness a mist-wreathed portrayal of Raleigh’s naval adventures, both eerie and ridiculous (the pair wearing enormous ships on their heads), and during Munnery’s final, doom-laden monologue – a bleak surveillance of the realm from the windows of a train up to Edinburgh – clearly taking the piss out of Derek Jarman’s film Jubilee.
Munnery is a great, if limited, actor, but he can’t carry the show by himself. The talent behind this is of the first pedigree, but it’s not quite comedic enough to be great comedy, nor quite dramatic enough to be great drama. History buffs will love it, though.’
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net