Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) at the Cremorne Theatre

   Anytime you see a sign like this, you know you’re in for a good time.I had always wanted to see Shakespeare Abridged. It had been playing somewhere in Williamsburg several years ago and for some reason no one could make it to any of the performances. But we did see The Complete History of America (Abridged) several years ago. It was cute, but not nearly as hilarious as I had been led to believe. I was a little skeptical of Shakespeare Abridged based on the previous performance, but also because this was not just Shakespeare, it was Shakespeare in Australian accents. I thought it might be a little strange. I was in for a surprise though.Shakespeare Abridged was a fun romp through Shakespearian drama with plenty of laughs, history, and fake vomiting. The style was great as it went through all of the plays in different formats. They acted out the key scenes in Romeo and Juliet. Then described Othello in rap form. Titus Andronicus was a cooking show. The comedies were all wrapped up together to form one master play using all of the conventions that Shakespeare used again and again for all of the plays.Hamlet took up the entire second act. It was acted out using the key scenes, then acted out faster, then faster, then backwards. It was hilarious. After we left the show, my stomach ached from laughing so much. Also, the three men who comprised all of the various characters interacted with the audience. Australian audience are talkative and not afraid to talk to the actors. The three men intertwined jokes that they made with the audience into the show.Overall, it was an excellent night at the theatre. I would definitely go see this show, or any of the other Abridged shows, again. I can only hope they have the same wit, excitement and energy that the three performers here had. In a different performance, the actors probably won’t have Australian accents, but no one’s perfect.