The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)

Synopsis

All 37 plays in 120 minutes. The sixteen comedies are reduced to a single section and the histories are played as a ball game. For all those who hate Shakespeare here is a rapid run through the lot - for those that love him, well, indulge yourselves in this delightful evening!

Our Review:

Andrew Girvan - 6 April 2011

"You don't have to do it justice, you just have to do it" James McNicholas shouts at Lucy Woolliscroft, who protests at having to condense the entirety of Shakespeare's "hard-core" Hamlet to a single sketch. Unfortunately this statement could sum up proceedings.

One of the West End's longest running comedies, Reduced Shakespeare Company's The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) played the Criterion for nine years. Their script has since been cut free and produced around the globe. This production finds itself at the New Red Lion - the first time the comedy has been revived in London.

Having updated the script McNicholas, Woolliscroft and Owen Roberts certainly approach it with gusto, but the overall picture is one of chaos. The comedies are reduced to a presentation, the histories to a rugby match, the sonnets find themselves abridged to a single double sided piece of paper.

At best the trio come across as ove...

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Latest User Review

Kim Morrall - 21 June 2012:

Saw it 15 years ago at the Criterion and still believe it is one of the funniest plays I've ever seen. Don't know what you people saw, but it obviously wasn't the same play I saw. Couldn't stop laughing!!!...

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