Samuel Johnson didn’t mince his words when identifying deficiencies in the Scotland he travelled through with his friend and biographer James Boswell in the autumn of 1773. In his Journey to the Western Islands he variously identified a “sullen scrupulousness and warlike ferocity”, bemoaned the lack of trees (“a tree might be a show in Scotland as a horse in Venice”) and proudly affirmed that Cromwell civilised the Scots “by conquest and introduced by useful violence the arts of peace”.
What he didn’t do, though, was deliver an uninterrupted stream of insults calculated to make the blood of even the feeblest Scottish patriot boil. For a full 10 minutes after his arrival on stage in this hilarious fictional reunion, devised by Stewart Lee, Simon Munnery – a very pale, skinny incarnation of the great man – does his best to bait the locals.
“To say that a Scot speaks English is to say that a dog eats a bone – whereas it mauls it,” he suggests, with impassive hauteur. “Athenians of the North, where are your abacuses?” he demands. “Did you eat the beads or did you exchange them for heroin?” “As a dog returns to its vomit, so have I returned to the land of the deep-fried pizza,” he drawls, a provocation that Miles Jupp’s adoring-yet-squirming Boswell – like Munnery, attired in unfetching period dress and wig – dutifully scratches into his notebook with his feather quill.
War would probably break out on the spot were it not for the fact that everyone’s too busy laughing. It’s an inspired idea to imagine what would happen if the pair tripped into the Traverse today with books to plug. What makes the show so impressive is that the wit flows freely for a whole hour, even though, as they confess, there’s nothing much to be said.
“Bozza” keeps trying to get a bemused Johnson to repeat his famous “a man who is tired of London” aphorism. A sullen, warlike drummer and bagpipe player, both kilted, lend desultory, ear-paining accompaniment. There are some tetchy readings, an inept recreation of a storm at sea and the evening concludes with Boswell being forced to eat a haggis while the audience all sing The Skye Boat Song at him. “Snortingly funny” – it’s not a phrase to be found in Johnson’s Dictionary, but it’s the only way to describe it.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube