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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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Brighton Argus
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Guest1001, Youtube