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