Elizabeth and Raleigh: Late But Live

The relationship between Sir Walter Raleigh and his questionably virgin queen has long been pondered upon, but this new play by Stewart Lee harbours no such pretensions.

It is from the outset a larger-than-life, multi-media caricature of their supposed love story, turning it into a kind of lurid adult pantomime complete with Simon Munnery as the (literal) drag Queen.

Miles Jupp's blustering Raleigh introduces the play with an overview of his life's achievements, via the unexpected medium of a slideshow featuring Jimmy Carr as a fictional Elizabethan prize-giver and 'racist Morris dancer', and things become increasingly surreal from there.

However, there is no doubt that Munnery's deliberately grotesque parody of Queen Elizabeth is the star of the show and his performance is perfectly deadpan, an essential quality if he is to portray a 16th century queen dealing with her anger by vigorous bouncing on a mini trampoline.

Some of the show's funniest moments are in his impromptu reactions to the audience and to faults with the set and costumes, notably when a plank falls from the makeshift gallows and he turns on Raleigh demanding: 'How can I trust a man who is no good at woodwork?' Unfortunately, this is where Jupp's portrayal of the archetypal simpering Englishman is perhaps too convincing, as he often finds it difficult not to snigger at his co-star's wit.

The script contains moments of real beauty, brilliance and humour, but it strays from the poetic into a convoluted tangle of loops and flourishes which trip the actors on several occasions.

Although it is based on puns, wordplay and outrageous insults, the finale is too briskly reached and strangely solemn, leaving a question mark over whether the play's intention is to entertain or to seriously ponder the nature of Elizabeth and Raleigh's relationship after all. If that is the case, it is well wide of the mark - but as a panto, it's a hoot.