A Guest Review by Alan Stafford
The Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC, for short!) have been presenting their distinctive brand of bite-sized Bard ever since their 1981 debut in California. Their frenetic forays through the First Folio have enlivened many an Edinburgh Fringe (where I first encountered them) and they subsequently enjoyed a West End residency of nine years.
Now a fresh new trio of actors, under the direction of founder RSC writer/performer Adam Long, stop off for a week in Ipswich in a touring production originating from The Theatre Chipping Norton (which sounded so made-up I had to check it was real). It’s not so much ‘all the world’s a stage’ as ‘all the works are staged’ – while they race through Will’s entire canon in record time. In fact, they shave a full twenty minutes off the traditional ‘two hours’ traffic’ – and that’s including an interval!
Photo Credit: Mark Senior – Woogie Jung and Tom Pavey
After a mock-scholarly introduction by company understudy Kiran Raywilliams (substituting for Efé Agwale) we’re straight into a potted Romeo and Juliet, with most of the cast portrayed by Woogie Jung and Tom Pavey (who seems to specialise in bewigged heroines with noisy death scenes). Another highlight is the gorier parts of Titus Andronicus reimagined as a TV cookery show.
Photo Credit: Mark Senior – Efé Agwale, Woogie Jung and Tom Pavey
All of Shakespeare’s kings are despatched in a barely comprehensible game of football – and all his comedies melded into a mash-up of plots declaimed by the cast in animal heads. Not surprisingly, by the interval, every one of Shakespeare’s plays has at least been alluded to, with one glaring omission.
It’s sometimes difficult to tell who this production is being pitched at. Children would probably enjoy much of the slapstick silliness, though they would be unlikely to learn much from it. Even adults would have to be exceptionally well-read to get all the references.
Photo Credit: Mark Senior – Woogie Jung and Tom Pavey
In part two, one single play gets the chance to breathe a little, and there is some affecting acting amongst all the daft dashing about. There’s also a fair bit of audience participation – perhaps a little late in the evening to act as an effective warmup. (You may want to sit a few rows back if you’re not a fan.) And if you thought they were cramming a lot in, just wait for the encores.
Overall, it was fast-paced show full of sound and fury – but I personally would have preferred a slightly longer running time with a little more content and a little less freneticism. Many others will doubtless disagree. Too brief or not too brief? That is the question.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) runs at the New Wolsey Theatre until Saturday 6th June, including a matinee on Saturday.
You can book tickets on the New Wolsey Website
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