Interview: Rugby, golf, cooking, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), in Cape Town 2026

What: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Featuring: Faeron Wheeler, Daniel Enticott and Kim R2 When: February 26 to March 7, 2026 Where: The Masque, 37 Main Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town Bookings: Quicket Masque Box Office: Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays between 9am and 2pm Age advisory: No Under 13s Secure parking is available. Wheelchair access and facilities available

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) provides a hilarious, insightful and highly entertaining trip through all of the Bard’s 37 plays and is widely regarded as London’s longest-running comedy. The hit comedy is on in Cape Town, at the Masque, February 26 to March 7, 2026. This production features Faeron Wheeler, Daniel Enticott and Kim R2. They will be donning leggings; not tights, for their production. Wheeler gives insights:

TheCapeRobyn: Your Company, F Creations, staged the play in Cape Town in 2016/17. Was that the first time that you presented it?

Faeron Wheeler: Yes, that’s correct. Our very first run opening on 26 February 2016 – so we’re opening 10 years to the day for this run.

TCR: What prompted this revival? Is it the original team?

FW: We have been threatening to bring the show back again and again. People would regularly ask if we were ever going to do the show again – especially my mum. When Daniel (Enticott) and I worked out that we would be able to open exactly 10 years to the day if we did it now, we felt like it was a sign.

And yes, we have managed to regather most of the original team. Daniel, Kim and I will be on stage again. Gary and Gail Fargher will be responsible for sound and lighting again. And Nicky Enticott is also in the squad again leading the backstage team. Unfortunately our other backstage crew member from the original team wasn’t able to join us again, but we’ve brought in two new team members to complete the chaos.

TCR: Who is directing and is there music?

FW: The production is largely workshopped, as it was 10 years ago. We have brought in some trusted theatre friends with an eye for directing and comedy to assist us, give feedback and help us grow the show.

TCR: Can you tell us about props and sets? Have you resurrected what you used in 2016/17?

FW: When we performed last in 2017, we always felt like we were going to do the show again, so we actually kept a large number of the props, costumes and the set. A lot of it has been sitting in boxes in my garage for the last nine years. The actual staging and set of the show is very simple, and we’ll be sticking to the same format as previously done. It’s the props and costumes that give the show the mad colour.

TCR: If I recall, the performers appear as themselves with some improv? Can you talk about that and obviously things have changed – now in 2026 – as compared to 2016/17?

FW: Yes, the three of us essentially play caricatures of ourselves in the show. There are definitely moments where we’ve brought things into a more relevant or current reflection. We also very much reference the fact that we are now all in our forties, but were all in our thirties last time we did the show.

TCR: How are you as theatre makers approaching the staging of an abridged Shakespeare in 2026 – making it desirable for hipsters who could just get it all from YouTube?

FW: What I love about this script from The Reduced Shakespeare Company is that it is still completely relevant today – just like Shakespeare is still relevant today. Shakespeare’s plays, at their core, are all about human nature and that simply hasn’t changed in 400 years. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is the same – it highlights just how relatable and also sometimes how completely crazy Shakespeare’s works are.

TCR: Some insights into the treatment of the plays?

FW: Each play gets a slightly different treatment in terms of how it’s presented. We play a rugby game to showcase the kings and the history plays. We have a pretend cooking show for Titus Andronicus. We carry golf clubs and do some questionable Scottish accents for “The Scottish Play”, and so much more. It’s a lot of fun because the audience is kept guessing as to what will be presented next.

TCR: Anything else to add?

FW: We’re all extremely excited to be presenting this play again. It’s a special one for all of us, especially for me because it helped to launch F Creations. We can’t wait to laugh with audiences in the coming weeks.

✳ Faeron Wheeler, Daniel Enticott and Kim R2 in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Masque, Cape Town, February 26 to March 7, 2026. Pic: Supplied.