Shakespeare Like Never Before: A Riveting, Abridged Series at Bristol Old Vic – Review

An actor from a recent staging of Othello disclosed that the audience often reacted to the play’s murder scenes with laughter. This unusual response might stem from exposure to the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s 1987 production, The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged), which has been a fixture in the West End and on global tours. This alternative “RSC” initiated a trend of distilling Shakespeare’s works, notably seen in Spymonkey’s The Complete Deaths, which humorously focuses on the numerous fatalities in Shakespeare’s plays.

During the recent revival of The Complete Works, co-authored by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, it became clear that those who saw the show as teenagers are now introducing it to the next generation. This iteration incorporates modern references, including a nod to Louis Theroux, who was in sixth form when the show first premiered, and even a mention of the drug Ozempic.

The essential humor of the production remains its drastic condensation of Shakespeare’s five-act plays into five minutes or less. For instance, the bloody finale of Titus Andronicus is presented as a cooking show, cleverly playing on the theme of reduction. The humor ranges from simple puns—like those on the last two syllables of Coriolanus—to more scholarly jests. The 14 comedies are compressed into a rapid anthology, suggesting that Shakespeare, a prolific playwright, inherently practiced narrative economy. This balancing act between simplification and satire is maintained throughout a tight runtime of an hour and 40 minutes, including an intermission.

The show also involves the audience in unique ways, including using my theatre programme during one segment, and culminates in a “tragic pantomime” where different audience sections shout lines from Ophelia’s psyche, adding a Freudian twist to her madness scene.

Prior to the Reduced Shakespeare Company, Tom Stoppard had similarly adapted Shakespeare’s works into shorter forms, including his Fifteen-Minute Hamlet in 1976, and a 30-minute version of The Merchant of Venice in 2005 for educational purposes. Stoppard’s influence lingers in this production, with references to his characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern being omitted because they “have their own play,” and a finale that attempts to further shorten the already brief adaptation.

Success in this form of theatre requires exceptionally versatile and captivating performers, and this revival boasts such talent. Efé Agwele delivers a classically poignant Hamlet amidst rapid-fire role changes. Woogie Jung and newcomer Tom Pavey also shine, with Pavey playing a particularly adversarial Ophelia that engages the audience.

Historically, high-quality farces have thrived in challenging times, providing laughter and relief. Michael Frayn’s Noises Off has been a source of comfort during economic downturns and conflicts. In these times when laughter is much needed, these reimagined Shakespearean classics should successfully entertain most audiences.

• The show is running at Bristol Old Vic until March 28, followed by a nationwide tour ending on July 11.