Cover photo by Carol Pratt/Scott Bushnell,
compliments of Reduced Shakespeare Company

The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)

Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

Price range: $15.00 through $75.00

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PERFORMANCE RIGHTS

Note

This is the February 2026 revised edition of the play.

28-page PDF piano/vocal score for production. View Perusal.
Recordings consist of 7 WAV backing tracks for production.

Description

An affectionate, irreverent roller-coaster ride from fig leaves to Final Judgment, tackling the great theological questions: Did Adam and Eve have navels? Did Moses really look like Charlton Heston? And why isn’t the word “phonetic” spelled the way it sounds? Whether you’re Catholic or Atheist, Muslim or Jew, Protestant or Purple People Eater, you will be tickled by this romp through old-time religion.

Production Info

Cast: 3 total (3 male, as written; gender-diverse and/or expanded casts welcome)
Full Length Comedy (about 100 minutes)
Minimal Set Requirements
Contemporary Costumes
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Reviews

Press Quotes

“… There is no doubt about it, these three lads are in a league of their own when it comes to vivid originality in the show … They have sublime moments of surreal theatricality … Sly minds are at work throughout. Posing the theological question: Does God have a sense of humor? They prove that undoubtedly he has. Why else would he have left the Children of Israel to wander the Middle East for forty years and then give them the only bit of land with no oil on it?” —⁠Jack Tinker, Daily Mail (London)

“… That apocalyptic roller-coaster of sex, violence, murder and miracles — the Bible — has been abridged by three American sinners. And verily this blasphemous, hilarious zip through the Old and New Testaments will henceforth be proclaimed as THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED) … Not even the most somber, uptight Scientologist could take offense at this snappy, slick and utterly entertaining show …” —⁠Sunday Express (London)

“‘In the beginning,’ a godlike voice informs us, ‘there was chaos.’ But why stop there? The disorder continues throughout the middle and end of THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED) until the neat rows of audience have dissolved hysterically into the aisles. In spoofing the book they call ‘the greatest story ever accepted as fact,’ The Reduced Shakespeare Company combines shtick, wordplay, physical humor, sight gags, audience participation and jokes so old … gleefully give in to the giggles and the guffaws and, indeed, the buffoonery is hard to resist …” —⁠Ron Weiskind, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“In the beginning there was THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED). And it was good. And SHAKESPEARE begat THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (ABRIDGED). And that was good, too. And now AMERICA has begat (begotten?, begetted? … whatever) THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED), and damned if it isn’t the funniest of the lot …” —⁠Bob Mondello, City Paper (Washington)

About the Author

Author

  • Adam Long

    Adam Long is the co-creator, co-writer and director of the Reduced Shakespeare Company's THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), which ran in London's West End for nine years and was nominated for an Olivier Award. THE COMPLETE WORKS also ran Off-Broadway twice and continues to enjoy numerous successful tours throughout the world. His feature-length film THE BARN won The Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards. Adam has written for Disney (DUDE THAT'S MY GHOST, HISTORY ON TOAST and LAST MINUTE BOOK REPORTS), PBS (THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED)), Channel Four UK (TRIGGER HAPPY TV and THE RING REDUCED), BBC Radio Four (THE HISTORY BOYS CONDENSED, CONDENSED HISTORIES OF THE BRITISH POLITICAL PARTIES and HOME TRUTHS) and Lucasfilm & BSkyB (STAR WARS SHORTENED). Other stage shows include DICKENS ABRIDGED (The Arts Theatre, London and UK Tour), SATAN SINGS MOSTLY SONDHEIM (Jermyn St. Theatre, London), THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED) (Reduced Shakespeare), THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (ABRIDGED) (Reduced Shakespeare), and DECONSTRUCTING ALBERT (The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield). Adam also provides the voice of Mr. Small for the BAFTA and Emmy Award winning THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL(Cartoon Network).

  • Reed Martin

    Reed Martin is best-known for his work as a Writer/Performer/Director/Producer with the Reduced Shakespeare Company with whom he has toured the world since 1989 and co-created eleven stage shows. He has performed in forty-seven states and eleven countries, including shows at The White House, Madison Square Garden, London's West End, The Lincoln Center, and The Kennedy Center. He has written for the BBC, TBS, National Public Radio, Britain's Channel Four, RTE Ireland, Public Radio International, The Washington Post and Vogue magazine. Reed's work has been nominated for an Olivier Award in London, a Helen Hayes Award in Washington, DC, and a San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critic's Circle Award. Along with his RSC partner Austin Tichenor, Reed was awarded the 2025 Berger Award by the international Shakespeare Theatre Association in recognition of outstanding talent and dedication to the works of William Shakespeare. He lives in Northern California with his wife, who is much funnier than he is.

  • Austin Tichenor

    "A man of letters in the theatre" (Peter Marks, Washington Post), Austin Tichenor's "intellectual vaudevilles" (Stephen Holden, New York Times) have been produced Off-Broadway, in London’s West End, at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and in theaters across America and around the world, including American Repertory Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Seattle Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Atlanta Shakespeare Company, San Francisco's Marines Memorial Theater, Princeton’s McCarter Theatre, Bath Theater Royal, Gielgud Theatre, Criterion Theatre, Jerusalem Theatre, Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, to name a few. He's the co-artistic director of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, for whom he's co-written ten stage comedies (all published and licensed by Broadway Play Publishing), the short film The Ring Reduced (for UK's Channel 4), a 6-part BBC World Service radio series, two TV pilots and several unproduced others, and the illustrated children's book Pop-Up Shakespeare. An alum of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, Austin's also written over 25 plays and musicals for young audiences, two published adaptations (FRANKENSTEIN and DANCING ON THE CEILING), and stage versions of Jasper Fforde's novel The Eyre Affair and Christopher Moore's New York Times bestseller Fool; co-created the illustrated children's book Daisy The Littlest Zombie; worked in story development for Disney Feature Animation; and is a monthly contributor to the Folger Shakespeare Library's culture blog "Shakespeare & Beyond." Austin is also an actor, director, and the producer and host of the Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast, the world's longest-running (since 2006!) theater podcast. His script THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (abridged) received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best New Play, and you can find him on the socials or his website TheShakespeareance.com.

About the Book

Book Information

Publisher BPPI
Publication Date 5/13/2013
Pages 78
ISBN 9780881455687

Special Notes

Special Notes

Licensees are required to include the original stage producers credits in the following form on the title page in all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play and in all advertising in which the full cast appears in size of type not less than ten percent (10%) of the size of the title of the Play:

Originally produced by Reduced Shakespeare Company

The following must appear within all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play:
The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) is produced
by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NYC
www.broadwayplaypublishing.com

Rehearsal Audio

Rehearsal Audio

The tracks below demonstrate how the following four songs in the show should sound.

“In the Beginning Blues” by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

“Begattin'” by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

“Elijah and Elisha” by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

“That’s Armegeddon!” by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor

Productions

Upcoming and Recent Productions

Nonprofessional


3/26/2026 – 3/30/2026
Seven Ages Theatricals
Sheboygan, WI

5/29/2025 – 5/31/2025
Royals Theater Production Fund
Santa Barbara, CA

10/3/2024 – 10/6/2024
Blinn College-Brenham
Brenham, TX

6/3/2022 – 6/4/2022
Breck School
Golden Valley, MN

5/23/2019 – 5/25/2019
Columbia Basin College
Pasco, WA

5/3/2019 – 5/19/2019
Allens Lane Art Center
Philadelphia, PA

11/8/2018 – 11/11/2018
Lakeland University
Plymouth, WI

8/31/2018 – 9/8/2018
Pontiac Theatre Iv
Pontiac, MI

5/25/2018 – 6/10/2018
Threshold Repertory Theatre
Charleston, SC

5/11/2018 – 5/20/2018
Panache Theatrical Production
Wilmington, NC

4/13/2018 – 4/15/2018
Circle Ensemble Theatre Company
Winterville, GA