Following the success of last year’s Johnson & Boswell, smarty-pants comedians Simon Munnery, Miles Jupp and writer Stewart Lee regrouped for this year’s Elizabeth & Raleigh, bringing Munnery’s alarming-looking Elizabeth I into conflict with Jupp’s besotted Walter Raleigh.
Was a follow-up to Johnson & Boswell something you wanted to do from the start?
We all wanted to do it, so we suggested some characters to Stewart and he went down this route. I suggested the Beverley Sisters – it would be tricky to stage, what with there being three of them and just two of us, but that would sort of be the joke.
Were you worried it might come across a little too like the second series of Blackadder?
I don’t know, probably. Stewart went back to original sources, the poetry and letters of Raleigh and Elizabeth, and then he ignored them. He just completely wrote his own stuff, added some of my jokes from an act I used to do and mangled it into a piece.
Beneath all the gags, is it fair to say the script is trying to say something quite profound about the nature of power?
Yes, we’ve been arguing about that. On tour, it’ll be longer than the version we did at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. There’ll be an interval and some extra scenes. It will change, there’s a bit more drama and poetry to it.
There’s a lot of make-up involved. How is the whole dragging up thing for you?
I tell you, I scrape it off fast as I can at the end. I don’t mind putting it on, but the worst bit is the next day when I pull out bits of white stringy stuff from my tear ducts.
Would you be offended if I said you made a pretty terrifying woman?
Thank you very much. But I make a very pleasant man.
Tue-Wed Sep 9-10, Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road, Southville, Bristol. 8pm, £12, £8 concs. Tel: 0117 902 0344. www.latebutlive.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter