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