PRESS RELEASE

The Reduced Shakespeare Company ® Returns to Great Britain
National Tour of The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)
Begins 20 January in Hereford

It's Apocalypse Now as the Reduced Shakespeare Company ®  after their hugely successful autumn tour, return to Great Britain this spring, with their hit West End production of The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) . Fun for the whole family the national tour kicks off in Hereford at The Courtyard Theatre on the 20 th January and runs through until 28 th March where the tour closes in Berwick-upon-Tweed. (See below for tour dates)

The original “Bad Boys of Abridgement” bring their reductive sensibilities to this irreverent celebration of “the greatest story ever accepted as fact.” Written by Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor, The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) is an affectionate roller coaster ride from fig leaves to Final Judgment, and has been praised by the Sunday Times as “a slick, fast, very funny show...[featuring] skilled performers with immaculate sassy American timing.”

One of the most popular shows in the reduced repertoire of “the other RSC,” These three cultural guerillas tackle the great theological questions:

? Did Adam and Eve have navels?

? Did Moses really look like Charlton Heston?

? And why isn't the word “phonetic” spelled the way it sounds?

Directed by RSC veteran Matt Rippy , who's well-known to UK audiences as an actor on such shows as Torchwood and movies such as Hellboy 2, The Dark Knight and Beyond the Sea. Matt has been with the company since 1996 in various guises and shows as an actor, writer and director.

“Another relentlessly enjoyable romp.” The Guardian
“A miracle of miniaturization” Evening Standard
“If you've seen the RSC before, you'll need no encouragement to this brilliant show. If you haven't, find out what you've been missing.” Edinburgh Evening News
“Pure fun. The troupe seems more anarchic than ever.” The Washington Times
“Dare we say it? They're funnier than Hell.” Anchorage (Alaska) Press
“The laughs come like a flood. Before you finish laughing at the first joke, you find yourself laughing at the next one.” Ma'ariv News, Jerusalem

The Good Book just got better!

NOTES TO EDITORS

• The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) ran at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End in 1997.  It later ran at the Criterion Theatre in the West End from 2003-2006.
• The Reduced Shakespeare Company® has toured the world, performing in the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Bermuda, Barbados, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand...and even New Jersey.
• The Reduced Shakespeare Company's® comedy is inspired by the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, Buster Keaton, classic Warner Brothers cartoons, the Three Stooges, Tom Lehrer, and the American electoral system.
• The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)  had its official world premiere at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC in 1995.  There it was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play.
• The RSC's weekly podcast was nominated for a 2007 Outstanding Podcast Award.  It is one of the top-rated Performing Arts Podcasts in the USA, UK, Ireland, Belgium and Holland.
• For more information about The Reduced Shakespeare Company® go to www.reducedshakespeare.com  They can also be found at www.myspace.com/reducedshakespeare

REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMAPANY
THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD ABRIDGED
UK SPRING TOUR 2009

JANUARY

Tue 20 HEREFORD, The Courtyard 01432 340555 courtyard .org.uk
Wed 21 MILFORD HAVEN, The Torch Theatre 01646 695 267 torchtheatre .co.uk
Thur 22 EXETER, Northcott Theatre 01392 493 493 exeternorthcott .co.uk
Fri 23 YEOVIL, Octagon 01935 422884 octagon -theatre.co.uk
Sat 24 BRYANSTON, Coade Hall 01258 484623 bryanston.co.uk/theatre
Wed 28 WELLINGBOROUGH, The Castle 01933 270 007 the castle .org.uk
Thur 29 - Sat 31 BURY ST EDMUNDS, Theatre Royal 01284 769505 theatreroyal .org

FEBRUARY

Sun 1 TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Trinity Theatre 01892 678 678 trinitytheatre.net
 Tue 3 HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, Old Town Hall 01442 228091.oldtownhall.co.uk
Wed 4 TEWKESBURY, Roses 01684 295074 roses theatre.org
Thur 5 ANDOVER, The Lights 01264 368368 thelights.org.uk
Fri 6 BEDFORD, School Theatre 01234 269519 bedfordschool.org.uk/theatre
Sat 7 IPSWICH, New Wolsey 01473 295 900 wolsey theatre.co.uk
Tue 10 LEICESTER, De Montfort Hall 0116 233 3111 de montforthall .co.uk
Thur 12 STOCKTON ON TEES, Arc Theatre 01642 525199 arconline.co.uk
Fri 13 SOUTH SHIELDS, Customs House 0191 454 1234 customshouse.co.uk
Sat 14 MUSSELBURGH, Brunton Theatre 0131 665 2240 bruntontheatre.co.uk
Tue 17 KESWICK, Theatre by the Lake 017687 74411 theatre bythe lake .co.uk
Wed 18 GIFFNOCK, Eastwood Park Theatre 0141 577 4970 eastwoodparktheatre.co.uk
Fri 20 INVERNESS, Eden Court 01463 234234 eden - court .co.uk
Sat 21 GLASGOW, Theatre Royal 0870 0606647 theatreroyalglasgow .com
Mon 23 DUNSTABLE, Grove Theatre 01582 60 20 80 grovetheatre .co.uk
Tue 24- Wed 25 SOUTHSEA, Kings Theatre 023 9282 8282 kings - southsea .co.uk
Fri 27-Sat 28 JERSEY, Opera House 01534 511115 jerseyoperahouse .co.uk

MARCH

Mon 2 WIMBLEDON, New Wimbledon Theatre 0870 060 6646 theambassadors.com/new wimbledon
Tue 3 FELSTED, School Theatre 01371 821191
Wed 4 FAREHAM, Ashcroft Arts Centre 01329 223100 ashcroft.org.uk
Thur 5- Sat 7 POOLE, Lighthouse 0844 406 8666 lighthousepoole .co.uk
Tue 10 LEATHERHEAD, Theatre 01372 365 141 leatherheadtheatre.co.uk
Wed 11 STOURBRIDGE, Town Hall Theatre 01384 812 812
Thur 12 BARRY, Memorial Hall Theatre 01446 738622 memorialhalltheatre .co.uk
Sat 14 BROMSGROVE, Artrix 01527 577330 artrix .co.uk
Sun 15 WREXHAM, Theatr Stiwt 01978 841300 stiwt .co.uk
Tue 17 MIDDLESBROUGH, Theatre 01642 81 51 81 visitmiddlesbrough.com
Wed 18 ALNWICK, Playhouse 0 1665 510785 alnwickplayhouse .co.uk
Tue 24 MARYPORT, The Wave 01900 811450 the wavemaryport .co.uk
Wed 25 HALIFAX, Victoria Theatre 01422 351158 calderdale.gov.uk
Thur 26 LEEDS, Gateways School Theatre 0113 2886345
Fri 27 BIRKENHEAD, Floral Pavilion Theatre 0151 647 0752 floralpavilion .co.uk
Sat 28 BERWICK UPON TWEED, The Maltings 01289 330 999 maltingsberwick.co.uk