Full casting confirmed for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) on tour

Full casting has been confirmed for the new version of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), which tours to 30 UK venues from 18 February 2026.

The production opens at the Theatre Chipping Norton, with a press night scheduled for 26 March at Bristol Old Vic Theatre. The Reduced Shakespeare Company returns with an updated take on its long-running show, following its previous West End run, two television specials and international performances.

The cast features Efé Agwele (A Family Business), Woogie Jung (Caged Sisters), Tom Pavey (professional stage debut) and Kiran Raywilliams (Run Rebel). The production is directed and co-written by Adam Long, alongside fellow writers Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield.

The production team includes set and costume design by Liz Cooke, lighting by Alexandra Stafford and movement direction by Amy Lawrence. It is presented by The Theatre Chipping Norton and Selladoor Worldwide, working in collaboration with the founders of the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

After Chipping Norton, the show will visit Basingstoke, Worcester, Epsom, Coventry and Huddersfield. It continues to Salisbury and Bristol, followed by Guildford, Lichfield, Southampton, Poole, Hertford and Bedford.

May dates include Tunbridge Wells, Newbury, Taunton, Exeter, Northampton, Bolton, Watford and Oxford. In June, the show visits Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Doncaster, Newcastle and Wakefield, and concludes in July in York.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company began in the 1980s as a street theatre troupe in the San Francisco Bay area, performing short versions of Shakespeare at Renaissance Faires. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) was first staged at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1987 before touring internationally and settling into a nine-year run at the Criterion Theatre in London. The company also holds two Guinness World Records for a performance at 37,000 feet and for the longest-running Shakespeare play in the West End.