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