Shakespeare in the Theatre: Reduced Shakespeare Company

The first dedicated critical analysis and historical study of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, this book explores the troupe''s four major Shakespearean works over the past four decades. The Reduced Shakespeare Company represent an American tale of how a small-scale, open-air troupe have, since their formation in 1981, gradually expanded into a global theatre brand. They create fast-paced, irreverent abridgements of many prominent topics, influencing countless theatre-makers who employ a similar approach to theatrical parody. Their debut play was translated into thirty-eight languages and ran for a record-breaking nine years on the London stage. Through a combination of interviews with the company''s founding members and current artistic directors, previously unexamined archival material and the author''s observations from attendance at rehearsals and performances in Edinburgh, London and Washington DC, Shakespeare in the Theatre: Reduced Shakespeare Company delivers a comprehensive analysis of the Reduced Shakespeare Company''s particular blend of audience interaction, metatheatrical narratives, popular culture references, Shakespearean intertextuality and vaudevillian humour. Offering insight into their processes and products of Shakespearean abridgement and their influence on other theatre-makers, this book delves into their history by analysing their most significant Shakespeare-related works: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (1987), The Reduced Shakespeare Company Radio Show (1993), William Shakespeare''s Long Lost First Play (abridged) (2016) and Hamlet''s Big Adventure! (a prequel) (2019).

Product details

• Authors: Ronan Hatfull
• Assisted by: Peter Holland (Editor of the series), Farah Karim Cooper (Editor of the series), Purcell Stephen (Editor of the series)
• Publisher: Arden shakespeare
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 22.01.2026
• EAN: 9781350457614
• ISBN: 978-1-350-45761-4
• No. of pages: 224
• Series: Shakespeare in the Theatre
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > English linguistics / literary studies; LITERARY CRITICISM / Drama, LITERARY CRITICISM / Shakespeare, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / Direction & Production, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / History & Criticism, PERFORMING ARTS / Acting & Auditioning, Theatre Studies, Theatre: individual actors & directors, Later 20th century c 1950 to c 1999, Early 21st century c 2000 to c 2050, Shakespeare Studies & Criticism, Shakespeare Plays, Relating to Shakespeare / Shakespearean