Episode 595. Alli & Davey

Our long-time friends and colleagues Alli Bostedt and Davey Naylor were married last Friday, May the 4th (Be With You), 2018, in the Sebastiani Theatre in Sonoma, CA (where we filmed The Complete History of America (abridged)) and, just days before the ceremony, they took time to talk about how their romance overcame early tour awkwardness and problematic venues (thank you, Rhyl!). Featuring knockout predictions, comments from Best Man Matt Rippy, origin stories, canal canoodling, romantic Berkhamsted opportunities, memories of our UK tour of The Complete World of Sports (abridged) and New Zealand tour of Completely Hollywood (abridged), and the inspiring story of how romance can blossom even during a theatrical tour. (Length 19:01). 

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Episode 425. UK Comedy Openings

“IMG_4585After a long week of tech and a weekend of opening performances, our 81-city UK tour of The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) is finally underway. Actors Gary Fannin, Matt Pearson, Andrew Hodges, and Steven Rostance talk about the process that got us here, the things we learned, and the fears we overcame during our opening weekend of performances. Featuring differences and similarities to the RSC’s other shows, roller coaster analogies, imitations of barn animals, a special appearance by our friend Mike McShane, the gift of not being precious, international improvements, and the perils (and ultimately pleasures) of improvising. (Length 22:38)

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Biggest. RSC Gig. Ever.

Screenshot 2014-08-25 09.47.28
Seven different RSC shows in ten days: An event unprecedented in the history of the RSC! Reston Center Stage in Northern Virginia (just outside Washington DC) is hosting a massive celebration we’re calling The Complete Works of the REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY (abridged) Extravaganza. Pick your abridgment – Shakespeare, America, Bible, Books, Hollywood, Sports, and/or Comedy (abridged) – see one, see them all! September 12 – 21, 2014. Twelve current and former members of the RSC will appear in Reston in workshops, master classes, post-show discussions, general mayhem and much, much more. Hear more about it on this special episode of the RSC Podcast. Tickets are going fast. Get yours now!

A Brand Spanking New RSC World Premiere!

comedy-sqYes, you read it right! The RSC will unveil its ninth stage show THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF COMEDY (abridged) at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park from November 9 – December 29! From cavemen telling “Rock Rock” jokes to Chris Rock and everything in-between, the bad boys of abridgement leave no joke untold as we deconstruct the entire history of comedy in 90 rollicking minutes. Get tickets now! Continue reading

The UK is OK!

rsc-and-friends-feetThe Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]continues its smash hit UK tour! Buy tickets now before the tourcloses on November 16. If you miss the show on tour you’ll have one last chance to see the show at the Park Theatre in London from December 2-8. And here’s the big announcement: Due to popular demand The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)will tour England starting in January 2014. More details soon!

Lakewood Colorado

booksThat’s right – Lakewood Co gets its very own blurb. Why? Because that’s where the RSC has its only scheduled performance of All the Great Books (abridged) for the rest of the year. So if you’re looking for A Little Dickens or a Short Longfellow, then we’ll see you in Colorado on October 25! Get tickets here!

Christmas Schlepping!

The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged)We will be touring the RSC holiday classic – The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) – across the USA in December from Galesburg IL to Eau Claire WI to Reston VA.

So spread a little holiday cheer (very little) by buying tickets for yourself and your friends! Warning: Although the show is not fattening, it may be habit forming.

Tickets >

Don Your Doublet and Clutch Your Codpiece!

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]We Bad Boys of Abridgement continue our tour of the UK through August, with our original minimus opus The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], an irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays – all 37 in 97 minutes! Join we madcap men in tights as we weave our wicked way through all of Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies in one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.

“STUPENDOUS, ANCHORLESS JOY!” TimesContinue reading

Meet the Men in Tights…

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]The cast traipsing about the UK will consist of a couple of wily RSC veterans and two squirrelly newcomers.

* Aging ingenue Matt Rippy leads the charge, having been a member of the RSC since 1995 and having performed in five Reduced shows in seven countries on five continents, many of them solidly. Audiences who watch television or go to movies will recognize Matt from his below-decks discovery in The Dark Knight and his steamy appearance as the original Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood.Continue reading

March Madness! April Absurdity!

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)After a brief time-out, the Reduced Shakespeare Company take to the field once again with The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Whoop and holler and hurl your hotdog as we attempt to reduce every sport in the history of the world – from archery to wrestling, from basketball to bocce ball, from championship chess to professional ping-pong and everything in between! 3,477.3 sports reduced into one mad dash to the finish line! Impossible! No WAY, you say! YES way, say we! We have been training literally minutes for this! Bring your poms poms to:Continue reading

Returning to London

Leicester Square TheatreOh, yes – you read that right! But read it again just to be sure. See?! It’s really true! The show that launched a thousand reductions, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] is coming back to the West End in July! Limited engagement at Leicester Square Theatre! 4 weeks only! Make your travel arrangements, cuz tickets are NOW ON SALE!

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Chrismakwanukkahanzakah!

The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged)The Reduced Shakespeare Company is bringing joy to the masses as we tour The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) across America – from Virginia to Alaska and literally four states in between. Check our tour schedule and book early as we are sure to sell out (some say we sold out ages ago!). So whether you’ve been naughty or nice, treat yourself and the family to some holiday cheer. Don’t miss the show that was a Boston Globe “Critic’s Choice” and that according to Theatre Mirror, “Brought down the house with gales of laughter!”

Tour Schedule  >

Episode 310. Kings And Queens

No, not the Kevin James sitcom, nor the reality competition featuring RuPaul: Ginger UK production manager Davey Naylor recounts the reigns of the English monarchs from the ninth century to the present (2012). Featuring the ancient prerequisites for obtaining a knighthood, the differences between myths and legends, how the American Revolution is taught in the UK, excerpts from the Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show and The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged), and all your favorite Henrys and Georges and Ethelreds and Lizzes. (Length 26:05)

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Shakespeare Returns to the UK!

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]UK National Tour from April 2013! (And yes, this time we mean Scotland, too). We were very disturbed by the recent survey conducted by Vision Critical that suggests contemporary children have no idea who Shakespeare is and that more than a quarter of adults haven’t read his plays. And the final kick in the codpiece that nobody knows Shakespeare was British?! We blame ourselves.

Ever since the three American lads of the Reduced Shakespeare Company concocted The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], the play has been such a massive global phenomenon that most people quite rightly assume that Shakespeare was American. (We thought so too until very recently.) Shakespeare is the most produced playwright in any language in any country. He’s EVERYWHERE. He’s like the American military or Katy Perry, except with fewer guns or firework-shooting bras.

Continue reading

The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged)


“Critic’s Choice!” Boston Globe. “Brought down the house with gales of laughter.” Theatre Mirror. The fruitcakes of the Reduced Shakespeare Company take you on an irreverent yet heartwarming trip through the holidays in The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged). It’s festive funny physical family fun as these Three Wise Guys send-up and celebrate your favorite winter holiday traditions. Let the RSC rekindle the joy, inner-child and familial dysfunction inside us all! Now On Tour >

USA Spring Tour Dates

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)We have temporarily hung up our cleats and are drying out our socks after a  winning tour of The Complete World of Sports (abridged) across the US and UK. But we’ll be back! Due to popular demand the Reduced will be going for the  gold once again with a series of record breaking gigs across America in the Spring  of 2013. Don’t miss the show Nottingham Live called, “Fast paced, entertaining and very, very funny… Highly recommended!” And according to London’s Daily Mail, we were one of the Top 20 Things to Do During the Olympics. Make sure we’re one of YOUR top 20 things to do in 2013!

Spring Tour >

Episode 306. Returning To ‘America’

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastThe Complete History of America (abridged) premiered in 1993 and ran at the Criterion Theatre in London from 1996 to 2005, and has toured recently around the US and to Singapore and Hong Kong. For this 2012 tour of the show’s “Special Election Edition”, Dustin Sullivan returns with original cast members and co-authors Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor to share their thoughts about what it’s like to return to the script after a break of at least a couple of years. Featuring insight into the script’s hidden structure, how one section was inspired by a Second City improv sketch by David Razowsky and Stephen Colbert, the value of not being slavish to the big laugh, and what it’s like returning to an old friend. (Length 21:40)

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Episode 296. Davey’s Thameside Walk

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastUK Production Manager Davey Naylor gives us on an epic tour of the Thames Embankment from Vauxhall Bridge to London Bridge. Featuring famous landmarks as Cleopatra’s Needle and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the source of the phrase “monstrous carbuncle“, historical trivia, the new name for the tower which holds Big Ben, confused movies, and the answer to the question, “Who is the Golden Hinde of the Reduced Shakespeare Company?” (Length 28:10)

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