An irreverent and fast-paced romp through all of Shakespeare’s canonical plays!
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] has been loved the world over, and now this irreverent, fast-paced romp makes its Bard on the Beach debut. Three players present an acclaimed (and hilarious) [and irresistible] sprint through all of Shakespeare’s canonical plays (plus the sonnets!). It’s a wild ride through the Bard’s histories, tragedies, and comedies that will leave you helpless with laughter. As The Today Show says, “If you like Shakespeare, you’ll like this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you’ll love this show!”
Tickets
Bard offers VocalEye members a fantastic deal for described performances: one complimentary ticket plus 50% off an additional companion ticket. Please call 604-739-0559. Some restrictions apply.
Running time TBA
Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield; new revisions by Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield.
Directed by Mark Chavez.
Resources
The Story
In an unused tent teeming with props and set pieces from Bard productions of yore, three unsuspecting performers must prove their chops—by acting out all of 37(ish) Shakespeare’s plays.
On William Shakespeare
Not as familiar with Shakespeare? No worries—we’ve got a quick run-down to catch you up.
While records from the period are neither clear nor comprehensive, there are a few facts that scholars generally agree on.
William Shakespeare lived and worked in England about 400 years ago, and while he was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he divided his time between Stratford and London. In London, he joined a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a name that was later changed to the King’s Men when James I became the King of England and chose to be the company’s patron.
From about 1590 to 1610, Shakespeare wrote about three dozen plays, most of which were performed by his company. He would later retire in Stratford, where he died in 1616. In 1623, two of Shakespeare’s colleagues in the King’s Men, John Hemmings and Henry Condell, published 36 of his plays in a collection now referred to as the First Folio. As Shakespeare’s original manuscripts have been lost to history, the publication of the First Folio was hugely important in preserving his plays and allowing us to talk about his work all these years later—perhaps to the chagrin of the poor players in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again].
The three soldiers, along with Don Pedro’s half-brother Don John and Don John’s followers Conrad and Borachio, are welcomed to the estate by Leonato, his daughter Hero, and his niece, Beatrice. Hero immediately captures Claudio’s heart, while Beatrice and Benedick quickly fall back into the “merry war” of wit going on between them.
Afterwards, Claudio tells Benedick that he is in love with Hero. While Benedick shoots down the notion of love, Don Pedro, who is a bit more of a romantic, offers to help Claudio win Hero’s heart. Unbeknownst to them, Borachio is eavesdropping on this conversation. Armed with this new piece of information, the disgraced Don John works with Borachio and Conrad on a scheme to sabotage this intended marriage.
“Love May Transform Me”
That night, Leonato hosts a masquerade dance to welcome his friends to Messina. Pretending to be Claudio, a masked Don Pedro approaches Hero, and the two leave the party while the real Claudio watches on nervously. Don John and Borachio try to interfere, but Don Pedro successfully woos Hero in Claudio’s name, and a wedding is set for a week later.
To pass the time until the happy nuptials, Don Pedro proposes a plan to bring Beatrice and Benedick together, even though the two of them have both sworn off the idea of marriage (and each other). Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato conspire for Benedick to listen in on a conversation where Leonato tells them that Beatrice is in love with Benedick. Likewise, Hero enlists the help of her attendants, Margaret and Ursula, to make Beatrice think Benedick has feelings for her.
However, while Beatrice and Benedick are busy making sense of their newfound feelings for each other, a more sinister plot is underway. Don John is determined to ruin Hero and Claudio’s wedding, and he hatches a plan to deceive Claudio into thinking Hero is unfaithful. With so much chaos and deception, will the truth be revealed—and true love prevail—or will “slanderous tongues” tear these two couples apart?
