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