HAVING seen Richard Curtis’ jokey take on history in Blackadder and Frankie Howerd relating his doubles to the people of ancient Rome in Up Pompeii, we’re all familiar with lampooned versions of the history books.
But not many stray as far as this gloriously silly interpretation of the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and her courtier Sir Walter Raleigh.
Following on from their historical recreation of Samuel Johnson and James Boswell’s tour of Scotland last year, writer Stewart Lee – at the suggestion of producer Ian Gillies – has penned a similar vehicle for Liz and Walt and again places Simon Munnery and Miles Jupp in the eponymous lead roles.
The historical duo are played as if both trying their hand at stand-up, an enjoyably ridiculous sight particularly as the material is a classic combination of the Oxford graduate Lee’s penchant for thought-provoking, clever comedy on one hand to unashamedly puerile toilet humour on the other – plus there’s a fair dollop of the absurdism favoured by Munnery.
An added humorous dimension is how well those elements suit the discourses that we associate with both the historical figures; Elizabeth’s speeches easily take on Munnery’s surrealism and Jupp as Raleigh employs the courtly language of the day and imbues it with bawdy comedy.
Main purveyor
Indeed, the cocky yet put upon Raleigh is the main purveyor of Lee’s base silliness with plenty of innuendo and even a potato medley at the top of the show for fans of the Maris Piper and its fellow varieties.
For the haughty Elizabeth, Munnery contributes much from his League Against Tedium stand up days including his somewhat surreal, and at the same time wilfully childish, xenophobic rant.
This tour version of the show is slicker than the somewhat experimental Edinburgh Fringe run of the show.
To make it longer, there’s increased self-reflexive messing about with Liz throwing her arms in the air and announcing ‘interval!’ then cracking open a beer.
There’s more self-conscious japery towards the end of the show. At the point where the Edinburgh show closed, Queen Bess presents a moving soliloquy about potato crisps and rotting strawberries spoken against a haunting backdrop of a single instrument score (provided by Jane Watkins), here on tour the mood created by the monologue is quickly punctured by Raleigh’s comment of ‘and what kind of an ending is that, what does it mean anyway?’.
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk