A COMEDY troupe famous for their ability to generate short, sharp laughs from the longest and most serious of subjects will be back in Leeds this spring.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company will perform their Complete History of Comedy (abridged) at City Varieties Music Hall this May.

So far they have skewered history, the Bible and the world’s most celebrated playwright. Now the company will tackle the subject they were born to cut down to size – comedy itself!

Following a hugely successful, critically acclaimed season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014, the group is aiming to again reduce the UK to tears of laughter this year.

From the high-brow to the low and everything in-between, "the bad boys of abridgement" will leave no joke untold as they deconstruct the entire history of comedy in 90 rollicking minutes.

The three-man troupe has been going since 1981 and have created nine stage shows, two television specials, several television pilots and numerous radio pieces.

The company’s first three shows, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Complete History of America (abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) enjoyed a nine-year run at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus.

The troupe's Leeds show starts at 7.30pm on May 10. Tickets are priced £17.60. Visit cityvarieties.co.uk or call 0113 243 0808 to book.