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