A new version of the West End classic, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) – rebooted and reimagined for 2026 opened at The Theatre Chipping Norton on 18 February and is now out on a major UK Theatre tour, coming to Northern Stage on 19 and 20 June.
The worldwide comic phenomenon returns with this updated and reinvented rollercoaster ride through all 37 of the Bard’s plays After nine years in London’s West End, two TV specials and performances in over 20 countries, the Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC) now brings this classic comic masterpiece to a new generation of audiences.
The cast of four are Efé Agwele, Woogie Jung, Tom Pavey and Kiran Raywilliams.
Presented by The Theatre Chipping Norton and Selladoor Worldwide and written by Adam Long (who also directs), Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, this 2026 production has set and costume design by Liz Cooke, lighting by Alexandra Stafford and movement directed by Amy Lawrence.
The Reduced Shakespeare Company
The Reduced Shakespeare Company began as a street theatre troupe in San Francisco Bay in the 1980s, busking 15-minute versions of Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet to earn a living. Most of the performances were at ‘Renaissance Faires’ where the RSC often had to share their stage with belly dancers and sheep. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1987, at 10am in a church basement. From there, the RSC was invited to perform in Montreal, Tokyo, New York and London. After several world tours, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) landed at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus where it ran for nine years.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) team hold two Guinness World Records:
- The highest altitude Shakespearean performance – on 23 April 2014 (Shakespeare’s birthday) the RSC performed The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) at 37,000 feet aboard an EasyJet flight from London Gatwick to Verona, Italy.
- The longest-running Shakespeare play (West End) – notching up 3,744 performances from its opening night on 7 March 1996 until it closed on 3 April 2005.
The production is a new partnership between The Theatre Chipping Norton, a small but mighty rural producing theatre with a growing reputation for creating top quality work for the UK touring circuit, and Selladoor Worldwide, an established commercial producer with an excellent track record in high-end entertainment. Together, these two organisations are working closely with the founder members of the Reduced Shakespeare Company and the original writers to bring a new, refreshed version of this comedy theatre classic to contemporary audiences.
You can see The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) on 19 and 20 June at Northern Stage
