LOOKING more like Heath Ledger’s Joker than the Virgin Queen, Simon Munnery is, nevertheless, surprisingly, perfectly cast as Elizabeth I in this dementedly enjoyable follow-up to Late But Live with Boswell and Johnson. Once again he’s joined by Miles Jupp, as Sir Walter Raleigh, in a show scripted by Stewart Lee.
The result of all these stellar talents coming together is just a joy; a lavish, mad multimedia bash that recalls Munnery and Lee’s semi-legendary epic Cluub Z that debuted in Edinburgh way back in 1997.
Although this show doesn’t quite approach the scale of Cluub Z, it is quite understandable – that show played to packed houses every night yet still lost thousands. This one, you hope, might make a few quid.
Jupp cuts quite the dash as the resurrected Raleigh, obviously expecting a hero’s welcome in Scotland as he popularised both smoking and the potato. Without him, he says, our diet would consist merely of brown sauce and alcohol.
But when Munnery enters he commands the stage; his Elizabeth is a throwback to the Nietzschean übernerd he played in his League Against Tedium persona – overbearing, arrogant, insane and shockingly regal.
This supremely silly show is handsomely mounted and benefits immeasurably from some live authentic 16th-century music performed by a perfectly deadpan Jane Watkins as enslaved American Indian Prince Tinymeat (“mind of a child”).
While Elizabeth’s closing speech – a vain attempt to give this lunacy a point – doesn’t really work, it’s hardly worth complaining about. The Spanish Armada battle sequence alone is enough to make up for any minor flaws.
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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World Without End, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Brighton Argus
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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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
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv