Philly Fringe 2025: Indecorous Theatre presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised)(Again)

This perennially popular show (first produced at the 1987 Edinburgh Fringe by original Reduced Shakespeare Company members Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield) is a partially scripted, partially improvised 90-minute performance. Cast members Emily Parker (also a producer and company cofounder), Josh Portera, and David Forbes (doubling as fight choreographer) all bring high energy to this whirlwind of at least 37 plays.

This production’s rough, free-flowing structure springs from the company's Ren Faire roots, encouraging audience participation and performer ad-libs. Throughout the show each performer portrays an alternate version of themselves. In Indecorous Theatre's adaptation, Parker plays a hyperactive serial vomiter, while Portera is a wannabe academic. The script hits on each cast member's strengths. Parker easily recites difficult passages at high speeds while Forbes showcases his incredibly natural Shakesperean delivery. I can see why the company got a positive BSR review for its recent production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Fun but dated

While the performance feels fresh and fun, parts of the script feel dated, as if written by middle-aged white men befuddled by technology and diversity. There are tired jokes about vaccination tracking chips, a couple "snowflake" references, a weird joke about consent (which is better than the original script's mockery of "No means no"), old-school boob jokes, and a three-year-old ChatGPT joke.

I assume the Indecorous Complete Works is based upon the play’s 2022 update by Jess Winfield and Daniel Singer. While the Indecorous cast smartly omits some of the more questionable bits, a lot still leaks through. I was vaguely disappointed that a lot of gender cross-casting didn’t occur. Sure, Forbes plays Juliet’s nurse for laughs and Parker plays a couple male supporting characters, but I would have loved it if one of the male actors played Juliet or Ophelia while Parker played Hamlet. (Thanks are due to the cast for never assuming and always asking the pronouns of the audience volunteers.) While I understand this show is deliberately over-the-top bawdy (like most Ren Faire street shows), I wonder if it could’ve squeezed in some more grounded performances alongside the light-hearted parody.

An enjoyable escape

The Sunday night audience I joined loved the entire show, warming to the young cast and their off-the-charts chemistry. Director Amada Charlie Clark’s staging especially shines in the more rapid-fire, text-heavy moments. The cast’s casual energy helps the scripted sections feel unscripted, like the audience participation portion. And the garden backyard of Elfreth’s Alley Museum is a beautiful setting lit with tiny globe string lights.

Admittedly, if you’ve attended any regional Ren Faire or improvised Shakespeare in the past decade, you’ve probably seen variations of this show, but certain sections remain unique and smart, like Hamlet in reverse, Hamlet in 50 seconds, Titus Andronicus as a cooking show, 16 comedic plays in five minutes, 154 sonnets condensed to a note card, and the history plays as a football game. Even the potty humor has clever word play like “flaccid members of the 21st century” or confusing Horatio with Fellatio. If you want a brief and enjoyable escape from the problems of 2025, this is for you. It’s loose, fun edu-tainment, great for surly teens, a first date, family outings, and more.