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