Hmm… a woman played by a bloke? Sounds a mite Elizabethan and – hey, look! It is.
Our eponymous heroes in Late but Live: Elizabeth and Raleigh are ably portrayed by funny men Simon Munnery (Queen Elizabeth I) and Miles Jupp (Sir Walter Raleigh) in this gag-fuelled romp at the Tobacco Factory Theatre. And, yes, this show works splendidly if verbal slapstick is your thing.
The usual suspects – outsize codpieces and ruffs, gags of indeterminate gender – all do a decent job of setting the scene for Raleigh’s increasingly desperate seduction attempts on Her Majesty.
He is assisted by a coterie of fabulous bon mots: “My aim is the aim of an owl: to wit; to woo.”
Munnery, too, does a more than decent job of conveying the imperial quirks of royalty. He is by turns a querulous, handsomely flirtatious monarch – doubtless all things yer-actual historical Elizabeth was.
Don’t expect emotional volcanoes, Shakespeare it ain’t. Yet writer Stewart Lee does achieve a deft balance between surreal gags – throne with flashing lights, anyone? – and moments of tenderness between the players, ably assisted by Jane Watkins’ lilting music
And Jupp’s Raleigh, is a dapper, nippy adversary to his harsh-tongued Queen in what is more or less a slick war of stand-uppery designed to expose the anarchic workings of the human heart.
The avalanche of one-liners offer a refreshing cure for any working-day blues and give vital oomph to this tale of potatoes and executions.
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube