Historical themes are not always the easiest for a theatre group to capture, what with actual facts always getting in the way. The best and worst of these attempts are here.
Warming himself to the audience like a cuddly chat show host, Sir Walter Raleigh, discoverer of worlds, champion of potatoes, begins with his particular brand of obsequious fawning for the greatness of others. Then behold, ladies and gentlemen, the bizarre, wonderful, crazed and incongruous introduction to what is Elizabeth and Raleigh: Late but Live.
Playing Raleigh with panache, wit and throwaway fun is Miles Jupp, whose perfect foil, Queen Elizabeth I, is played imperiously by Simon Munnery. The pairing of these two great comedians is like nothing else at the Fringe, and for those lucky enough to have seen Johnson and Boswell: Late but Live last year, expect more of the same weirdly madcap humour. Penned by Stewart Lee, the jokes in the show are the kind that produce great bubbles of joyous, unexpected laughter. A strong sense of the historical is mixed in with the best kind of modern silliness, and the heightened language only adds to the excellence of the base humour. This is the Fringe at its best, and those who witness Raleigh’s culinary humiliation are likely to agree.
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Idrie, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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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World Without End, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk