Shakespeare funnies

[owlmoose]

A few weeks ago, I picked up the radio plays of The Reduced Shakespeare Company at the iTunes store. I've been listening whenever I have a long stretch in the car (the only time I really like listening to spoken-word performance is while driving), and I recommend them to anyone who enjoys a bit of literary wackiness. Here is a prime example, from the episode that covers all the histories in forty-five minutes.


Dem Kings

Richard was connected to Plantagenets
The Plantagenets conquered all the Anglo-Saxons
Henry 2 was the very first Plantagenet
And he had two heirs to the throne

The first was Richard called the Lionheart
And the second was John who signed the Magna Carta
His flunky was the Sheriff of Nottingham
And Henry 3 was heir to the throne

Dem kings dem kings dem dead kings
Dem kings dem kings dem dead kings
Dem kings dem kings dem dead kings
Now who's the heir to the throne?

Now first there was good king Edward I
The next was Edward I-I
And next came a king named Edward Aye Aye Aye
Father of Richard the Second

And now here's the War of the Roses

Dem kings dem kings dem dead kings
Dem kings dem kings dem dead kings
Dem kings dem kings dem dead kings
Now here's the War of the Roses

So Richard 2 was murdered by Henry 4
And Henry 4 was murdered by Henry 5
Henry 5 was made into a movie
And Henry 6 is the heir to the throne

Now Henry 6, Shakespeare wrote three plays
But no one's ever seen 'em 'cause they're boring
Edward 4 is not a play but it's a gay pub
And Edward 5 is the heir to the throne

But Edward 5 was murdered in a tower
By his uncle Richard 3 who was a hunchback
And he went to college at Notre Dame
And Henry the Eighth was a pop song by Herman and the Hermits


You see what I mean.

They have a few DVDs out. Their only other audio work appears to be "The Bible (Abridged)". I may just have to check that one out, too.