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