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