FOLLOWING a hugely successful, critically acclaimed season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014 the Reduced Shakespeare Company will set out to reduce the UK to tears of laughter in Spring 2015.

From the high-brow to the low, The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) covers comedy through the ages, from Aristophanes and Shakespeare to Vaudeville and Charlie Chaplin.

The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) is far more affordable than tickets to an amusement park, but you’ll still come away with the same feeling of nausea and motion sickness. From cavemen telling “Rock Rock” jokes to Chris Rock and everything in-between, the Company leaves no joke untold as they deconstruct the entire history of comedy in 90 rollicking minutes.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man comedy troupe that takes long, serious subjects and reduces them to short, sharp comedies.

Since 1981, “The Bad Boys of Abridgement” have created nine stage shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots and numerous radio pieces – all of which have been performed, seen, heard and translated into Klingon the world over.

The company’s first three shows, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Complete History of America (abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) enjoyed a nine-year run at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus. Not only were they London’s longest-running comedies, but at one point, the Reduced Shakespeare Company had more shows running in the West End than Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The company were last seen on a four month tour of the UK and Ireland with The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) at the start of 2014. Before that, a whirlwind eight month tour of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) played to packed houses throughout the UK and London’s West End throughout 2013. Prior to this, the “other RSC” were wowing the UK with their highly successful Complete World of Sports (abridged), which toured the country before completing a season in London’s West End during the 2012 Olympics.

They will be appearing at Harrogate Theatre on Wednesday April 1, Box office 01423 502116, harrogatetheatre.co.uk and the City Varieties, Leeds, on Sunday, May 10, box office 0113 2430808 or online at cityvarieties.co.uk.