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