SOME people believe that the plays of Shakespeare contain some of the most-beautifully crafted passages in the English language.

Some think he's over-rated, but whatever anyone thinks of his 37 plays, they will never have seen them performed in quite the fashion of the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

The company - very much reduced as its cast has just three members - is bringing London's longest-running comedy to Cheltenham's Everyman Theatre next week.

You may not think it's possible, but they are promising to perform every single one of those 37 plays and it won't take a week to sit through them all - just 97 minutes of madcap action.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) has been playing in the West End for six years and is hitting the road on a nationwide tour.

Actor Gary Fannin, who joined the West End run last September, came to Cheltenham when the company brought The Complete Millennium Musical to the town last year and said: "We had a great time. We loved Cheltenham."

He explained: "The basic premise is to cut the boring bits and get to the sex and violence. Our attention spans are so much shorter than they used to be in this MTV generation, so we are really doing the soundbites of Shakespeare, but I don't think he would disapprove.

"In some ways it is very true to the original Elizabethan audiences, because the audience is very involved in our shows. It is very interactive."

If this sounds like sacrilege to fans of the Bard, then they have no need to worry. The Complete Works is very much a light-hearted look at the essence of Shakespeare and there's plenty there to get your teeth into.

"It works on a lot of levels," said Gary. "People who don't know anything about him are really entertained and in some ways it is educational. For people who really do know about Shakespeare they will get a lot of the more subtle references that others won't."

But just how do you condense all those plays into the length of a football match (plus injury time)? Well, Othello becomes a rap, the histories turn into an American football match and there's a rendition of Hamlet done backwards

It may be fun for the audience, but it's hard work for the trio of cast members, who have to run through numerous costume changes as they switch from play to play in such a madcap fashion.

"It is very tiring, especially being on tour," said Gary. "It is a really gruelling schedule and it is a very physical show."

This alternative RSC was formed in 1981 as a pass-the-hat act on the streets of San Francisco with a 20-minute version of Hamlet. It was a hit with passers-by and soon expanded into a one-hour Complete Works performance.

The play was staged at the Edinburgh festival in 1987 and proved a huge hit. It has continued to wow audiences worldwide ever since.

The company has expanded its repertoire, but stayed true to its theme with new works, such as The Complete History of America (abridged), The Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show, The Bible: The Complete Word of God and The Complete Millennium Musical.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company will be performing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) at The Everyman Theatre from next Tuesday to June 2. Evening performances from Tuesday to Thursday start at 7.45pm, Fridays at 9pm and Saturdays at 8pm, with matinees on Friday at 6pm and Saturday at 4pm. Tickets priced between £7 and £16 are available from the box office on 01242 572573.