ADC
Dir: Peter Johnson
3 stars

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) hits this week’s ADC late slot at hysterical speed, sometimes running too fast to do either itself or its inspiration justice. Yet as one performer admits so candidly “We don’t have to do it justice; we just have to do it”, a statement which may seem shockingly blasé out of context but liberates The Complete Works from a potentially stifling shadow.

At points literally playing with themselves and each other, this all-female cast comes into its own when the girls get comfortable and exploit Shakespeare’s cheeky side. This play is one in which audience involvement is essential and, for the most part, the cast kept us engaged and amused as they rollicked through Shakespeare’s 38 plays and 154 sonnets. If anything, it was the fear that we might not follow too outrageous or prolonged an improvisation that led more obscure attempts to fall flat. Rather than trusting in their capacity to excite the audience and create comedy through collaboration, the cast’s desire to please was excessive. This seems wholly unnecessary for a cast with a striking potential to please on their own terms. Hopefully this will be realised over the run if their audiences increase and remain open to playing along with Shakespeare in a way that would not be condoned in a supervision room.

Helen Duff