All the comedies are combined into one convoluted reading (the justification being that they all recycle the same plot devices anyway). The rest of the first act summarizes most of the other plays. Following that is Othello done as a rap song. Next, they caricature Titus Andronicus as a cooking show. They begin with a parody of Romeo and Juliet. The three actors introduce themselves to the audience, the first (Daniel Singer) reminding the audience not to record the show, the second (Jess Winfield) giving a speech about how unappreciated William Shakespeare is and the third (Adam Long) giving a biography of Shakespeare mixed up with Adolf Hitler. The writers, Long, Singer, and Winfield-former founding members of the Reduced Shakespeare Company-first performed at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Novato, California in the early 1980s, then at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987, and later at the Criterion Theatre in London, where it ran for nine years. As a result, performances differ, even with the same cast. Also, the authors' notes strongly encourage performers to update outdated references and jokes so that the material doesn't come off as out of touch. It is also common for them to make references to pop culture or to talk about local people and places in the area where the play is being performed. However, improvisation plays an important role and it is normal for the actors to deviate from the script and have spontaneous conversations about the material with each other or the audience. The script contains many humorous footnotes on the text that are often not included in the performance. The director and stage crew may also be directly involved in the performance and become characters themselves.

The fourth wall is nonexistent in the performance, with the actors speaking directly to the audience during much of the play, and some scenes involve audience participation. Typically, the actors use their real names and play themselves rather than specific characters. It parodies the plays of William Shakespeare with all of them being performed in comically shortened or merged form by only three actors. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (also known as The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)) is a play written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield.

The complete works of shakespeare play