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