A Bonus episode! For all who celebrate – the only thing you’ll ever have to say. From The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged).
Podcast: Download (Duration: 0:57 — 1.1MB)
The Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation, one of the UK’s oldest cultural education charities, hosts the annual Shakespeare Schools Festival, which gives young people the confidence and skills to succeed in life by using the unique power of Shakespeare to transform lives. Mike Tucker, the head of the Foundation, discusses how they demystify Shakespeare (for teachers and students alike) by removing him from his pedestal; how the process of creating theater creates essential life skills; the importance of failing and learning you are more than your mistakes; the necessity of understanding that the value is in the process, not the product; and how the rehearsal room is not a luxury, it’s a training-ground for democracy. (Length 22:18)
Professor Ronan Hatfull literally wrote the book on the Reduced Shakespeare Company. His new book from Bloomsbury/Arden – Shakespeare in the Theatre: Reduced Shakespeare Company – is the very first full-length study to be published about the RSC. Focusing specifically on our Shakespearean reduction and adaptation, Ronan's book examines the origins and evolution of the company through the creation of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show, William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged), and The Comedy of Hamlet! (a prequel). Ronan shares his methodology; how he wanted to make his book accessible to the general reader; how he learned that the RSC carries on the 17th-century tradition of “drolls”; how the RSC injected a bit of danger and the unexpected into Shakespeare and influenced various folks like the Q Brothers and Potted Potter creator Daniel Clarkson; and how for a limited time, Arden Shakespeare is offering to RSC fans a 35% discount on the hardcover edition of the book! (Length 24:54)
Say hello to the newest UK incarnation of the Reduced Shakespeare Company! Efé Agwele, Woogie Jung, Kiran Raywilliams, and Tom Pavey join director and RSC founder Adam Long to discuss our brand-new tour of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) that's hitting at least 29 cities across the UK in this first half of 2026. The gang talks about how they were cast; their origins both humble and impressive; incorporating micro Shakespeare moments; experience with something called the Jesus College Shakespeare Project; our first live conversation from the back of the bus to Oxford University; and the key importance for touring actors to be "pre-loved-up"! (Length 27:44) (PICTURED, above l-r: Kiran Raywilliams, Efé Agwele, Tom Pavey (seated), and Woogie Jung. Photo by Michael Wharley.)