The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) The Reduced Shakespeare Company Drama Theatre, HK Academy for Performing Arts Reviewed: Sept 9
The Reduced Shakespeare Company is back. The three-man comedy troupe specialises in 'reducing' iconic works such as the Bible or all of Shakespeare's plays into 90 minutes or less with hilarious results.
First staged in 1987, and having since toured worldwide, including a stop here in 1996, The Complete Works is a mixture of slapstick, satire and bits of the Bard performed at a breakneck pace that can best be described as the Marx Brothers meet classical acting.
This is a very funny evening that keeps the audience laughing non-stop. Originally written by the company's founders, Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, the show has stayed up to date with new material added over the years, and audience participation guarantees the comedy stays fresh.
Among the highlights are the opening section and a rap version of Othello. It's not necessary to know Shakespeare's works to enjoy the show, but those who do will enjoy it even more. However, fluent English is required - the dialogue is fast, furious and full of wordplay from both the 16th and the 21st centuries.
As someone once said 'Dying is easy, comedy is hard' and the cast of Mick Orfe, Matt Rippy and Austin Tichenor combine fantastic energy with consummate professionalism - the speed of their costume changes alone is worth the price of admission.