Reduced Shakespeare Company

Reduced Shakespeare Company at The Playhouse, Norwich

Review published 20 October 2008

The Reduced Bible

The Reduced Shakespeare Company built a formidable reputation paraphrasing all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays into comic lunacy lasting 90 minutes.

They are at it again. This time taking the entire Bible! Three American guys keep the gags coming, a never-ending surreal angle on the key stories, all well rehearsed but riven through with adlibs and current affairs.

The basic comic technique is one idiot and two straight men. One moment they are reminiscent of a sixth form sketch, the next they are making a serious lecture. It is powerfully funny.

The selection of stories to send up is as varied as the treatment each receives.

Eve is a puppet emerging from Adam’s front. Abraham is Old Abe Lincoln. The second half is the New Testament. It finishes with Revelation – the Musical. In no way is it bad taste – it is refreshing fun.