LOOKING more like Heath Ledger’s Joker than the Virgin Queen, Simon Munnery is, nevertheless, surprisingly, perfectly cast as Elizabeth I in this dementedly enjoyable follow-up to Late But Live with Boswell and Johnson. Once again he’s joined by Miles Jupp, as Sir Walter Raleigh, in a show scripted by Stewart Lee.
The result of all these stellar talents coming together is just a joy; a lavish, mad multimedia bash that recalls Munnery and Lee’s semi-legendary epic Cluub Z that debuted in Edinburgh way back in 1997.
Although this show doesn’t quite approach the scale of Cluub Z, it is quite understandable – that show played to packed houses every night yet still lost thousands. This one, you hope, might make a few quid.
Jupp cuts quite the dash as the resurrected Raleigh, obviously expecting a hero’s welcome in Scotland as he popularised both smoking and the potato. Without him, he says, our diet would consist merely of brown sauce and alcohol.
But when Munnery enters he commands the stage; his Elizabeth is a throwback to the Nietzschean übernerd he played in his League Against Tedium persona – overbearing, arrogant, insane and shockingly regal.
This supremely silly show is handsomely mounted and benefits immeasurably from some live authentic 16th-century music performed by a perfectly deadpan Jane Watkins as enslaved American Indian Prince Tinymeat (“mind of a child”).
While Elizabeth’s closing speech – a vain attempt to give this lunacy a point – doesn’t really work, it’s hardly worth complaining about. The Spanish Armada battle sequence alone is enough to make up for any minor flaws.
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Keilloh, 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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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Brighton Argus
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Idrie, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter