To
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Reduced Shakespeare Company's classic
farce, two of its original writer/performers (Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield)
have thoroughly revised the show to bring it up to date for 21st-century
audiences, incorporating some of the funniest material from the numerous amateur
and professional productions that have been performed around the world.
The cultural touchstone that is THE COMPLETE
WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED)
was born when three inspired, charismatic comics, having honed their
pass-the-hat act at Renaissance fairs, premiered their preposterous masterwork
at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987. It quickly became a worldwide
phenomenon, earning the title of London's second-longest-running comedy after a
decade at the Criterion Theatre. THE
COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) is
one of the world's most frequently produced plays, and has been translated into
dozens languages.
Featured are all 37 of Shakespeare's plays, meant to be performed in 97 minutes,
by three actors (though more can be used). Fast paced, witty, and physical, it's
full of laughter for Shakespeare lovers and haters alike.
“THE COMPLETE WORKS OF
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) embodies one of comedy's most
essential impulses: the adolescent urge to take a baseball bat to
the culturally revered. A mix of pratfalls, puns, willful mis-readings of names and dialogue, clunky female impersonations,
clean-cut ribaldry, and broad burlesque. The gung-ho vitality is
impossible to resist. The conversion of the histories into a
football game is very funny. So is a rap version of OTHELLO.
HAMLET truly soars and allows the actors to come into their own
as manic clowns. At its giddiest, its tone recalls the fabled
Bullwinkle cartoon shows.”
Ben Brantley, The New York
Times
“This irreverent
deconstruction of Shakepeare's work makes a dilly of poor Willy.
A fantasia of zany energy that throws together Monty Python-ish
drag and Mel Brook-ish anything-for-a-laugh gags.”
Michael Musto, New York
Daily News
“Fresh,
energetic and funny. A wild and silly frolic.”
Pia Lindstrom, W N B C-T V
originally produced by Reduced Shakespeare Company
3 M, although more, and female actors can be used
Applause Books, I S B N: 1-55783-271-4 $10.95
[revised] Applause Books, I S B N: 978-1-61774-155-5, $10.95
SHAKESPEARE (abridged) book order form
other "abridged" shows (in chronological order):
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF
AMERICA (abridged)
Adam Long,
Reed Martin, & Austin Tichenor
THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD
(abridged)
Adam Long,
Reed Martin, & Austin Tichenor
WESTERN CIVILIZATION!
THE COMPLETE MUSICAL (abridged)
Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor, Nick
Graham (music), & Dee Ryan
ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (abridged)
Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor
COMPLETELY HOLLYWOOD
(abridged)
Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor