Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through all 37 of the Bard’s plays – as The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) heads to York next month.
A new version of the West End classic, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) has been rebooted and reimagined for 2026 to bring this classic comic masterpiece to a new generation of audiences.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) is at York Theatre Royal from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 July 2026.
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.
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 cast of four are Efé Agwele, Woogie Jung, Tom Pavey and Kiran Raywilliams.
And to top it off, 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.
Tickets for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) start from £15 and are available via the York Theatre Royal website.
