The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
by Reduced Shakespeare Company, Daniel Singer, Jess Winfield
book data
226 ratings, 4.54 average rating, 17 reviews
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published
by Josef Weinberger Plays
binding
Paperback
isbn
0856762156
(isbn13: 9780856762154)
description
The complete script to the critically acclaimed play. "Shakespeare as written by Reader's Digest, acted by Monty Python, and performed at the sp...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 270)
Read in March, 2000
oh my freakin' word! if you haven't seen this play you need to find it and watch it...because it is amazing! easily one of the funniest scripts i have ever read. i would love to put this on with a couple of friends one day...it is just that wonderful. funny, funny, funny...oh, and did i mention that it is funny? it will have you rolling whether you read the script first or watch others put it on. enjoy...i know i will for years to come.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
Drama dorks and people with an intelligently juvenile sense of humor
I've seen two productions by the RSC, but not this, their original show - "The Complete History of America (Abridged)" and "All The Great Books (Abridged)." I had high expectations for the script of the play that started it all, and I was not disappointed. The footnotes, in particular, were hilarious - references to Romeo being gay, assertions that "Hamlet" is really all about meat, the way they skipped from 187 to 1188... Hysterical. I did wish they spent a litt...more
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Read in March, 2003
One of the great things about having a dork for a roommate is that it enables your dorky tendancies.
Brent had this book on his shelf. Which meant I got to read it whenever I was in the mood too. The whole of the book is so ridiculously amusing that you find yourself torn about whether to check a footnote or not because both the footnotes and the text are so funny that it's hard to pick which one you'd rather read.
It's the kind of book everyone ought to read, and everyone also ought to se...more
Brent had this book on his shelf. Which meant I got to read it whenever I was in the mood too. The whole of the book is so ridiculously amusing that you find yourself torn about whether to check a footnote or not because both the footnotes and the text are so funny that it's hard to pick which one you'd rather read.
It's the kind of book everyone ought to read, and everyone also ought to se...more
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This is the play I'm currently working on. What's different is the playwrights encourage directors to update the text to keep it fresh, which should work well for a largely improv show. It's very funny, and while it is for Bard fans, it also gently pokes fun where it is deserved.
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This is one of my favorite plays, but it is even funnier when acted out. It's all of Shakespeare's plays (and some of the sonnets!) cleverly condensed into 90 minutes with three actors. My favorite part, aside the dreaded Hamlet, was Othello, which was rapped.
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I was recently reminded of my first exposure to this book - reading it out loud in Barnes and Noble with two friends about a decade ago. It is so hysterically funny. My copy mysteriously disappeared, which makes me sad.
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recommends it for:
Theatre, Shakespeare, and Speed Comedy Nuts
Oh, how I love this play! Even after stage managing it nearly 200 hundred times, I still laugh uproariously.
The best part of the written version are the ridiculous footnotes.
The best part of the written version are the ridiculous footnotes.
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Hilarious, but if you really want to appreciate it, you must see this live (or on DVD). Watching actors perform this ridiculous play makes it that much more enjoyable.
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3 comments
Oh, this is hilarious. If you can't see this production live, reading the script is the next best thing. The footnotes alone are worth the purchase price.
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This is an absolutely hilarious and highly entertaining read and if you ever get the opportunity to see it performed, Go!
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Read in July, 2008
Just about to direct this and can't wait. It's such a fun, reverent look at the canon. Good times.
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Classic. Well. Sorta. More of a bastardasation of a bunch of classics, but in a hilarious way.
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very hilarious! Can't wait to see it on a stage again soon.
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Nothing to say except Go See this if you can
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Read in November, 1998
Read it after seeing the show. Hillarious!
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