THE Reduced Shakespeare Company never do anything by half measures.
This spring and summer, the ever-energetic troupe of three are touring The Complete History Of Comedy (Abridged), written and directed by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor. Upcoming performances include Harrogate Theatre on April 1 and Leeds City Varieties Music Hall on May 10, both starting at 7.30pm.
The bad boys of abridgement are at last skewering the subject they were born to reduce. From the high-brow to the low, they cover comedy through the ages, from Aristophanes and Shakespeare to vaudeville and Charlie Chaplin. From cavemen telling “Rock Rock” jokes to Chris Rock and everything in between, the American company will leave no joke untold as they deconstruct the entire history of comedy in 90 rock’n’rollicking minutes.
Since 1981, the Reduced Shakespeare Company have created nine stage shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots and numerous radio pieces. Their first three shows, The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Complete History Of America (Abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word Of God (Abridged) enjoyed a nine-year run at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus as London’s longest-running comedies.
“At one point we had more shows in the West End than Andrew Lloyd Webber. Some of them were funnier too,” say the “other RSC”.
• Tickets for Harrogate are on sale on 01423 502116 or at harrogatetheatre.co.uk; Leeds, 0113 243 0808 or cityvarieties.co.uk
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