The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] is now open on the Douglas Campbell Theatre, bringing riotous face-paced fun to Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival until September 20.
This high-energy production is written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, with current revisions by Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield offering a lightning round of all 37 Shakespeare works – comedies, tragedies, histories, sonnets and the “problem plays”. With a countdown set to 90 minutes, plus intermission, for the three players to complete the task at hand, the result is a hilarious romp through two decades of the Bard’s works.
Directed by Mark Chavez, on opening night Bard on the Beach veterans, Tess Degenstein, Craig Erickson and Nathan Kay played fictionalized versions of themselves in a lecture style setting. Arghavan Jenati is the fourth cast member in this production which rotates the cast with just three of the players in each performance—making it a different adventure in comedy each night. The trio of performers keep the audience on the edge of their seats as they work up a sweat with the high-stakes energy and incredible pace of this production.
The stage and set are also important ‘characters’ in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again], from the moment the audience steps into the Douglas Campbell Theatre tent, teases of the humour to come surround the stage. Look closely at the cases and shelves to spy how Set Designer Ryan Cormack has littered the set with old props and fun easter eggs Bard fans are sure to spot. For the rapid-fire quick changes within the production, Costume Designer Alaia Hamer has also pulled together pieces from past Bard productions. Listen closely to pre-show and intermission announcements for more comedy gold, created by Composer and Sound Designer Anton Lipovetsky who has created a soundscape, including some familiar voices, for the performers to interact with and to test the performers’ dance skills – choreographed by Amanda Testini. If rolling with laughter wasn’t enough, the audience in incorporated into the show as well. With no fourth wall, the performers speak directly to the audience and encourage participation to help them succeed with their tormented task.
If this version of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] was how Shakespeare was introduced to the school curriculum, students would be a lot more interested in the Bard! I know I’ll be looking up some of the less popular works mentioned in the play.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] is playing in repertoire with The Dark Lady until September 20, 2025 on the Douglas Campbell Theatre stage. Visit bardonthebeach.org for showtimes and tickets. Look for special performances including July 19 and 26 for Honda Celebration of Lights, Talkback Tuesdays, Wine Wednesday, Relaxed and Accessible Performances and more.