Who would have thought mashing up Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino’s violent, quotable 1992 directorial debut would work?

Sydney Shakespeare Company Artistic Director Steven Hopley, that’s who. His witty, learned adaptation premiered in Sydney in 2014.

Since then William Shakespeare’s Reservoir Dogs has been performed a handful of times, from Florida to The Ghostlight League production at Melbourne’s little St Martin’s Theatre two years ago.

Their minimalist take directed by Rob Lloyd is back, at the larger Theatre Works. There’s a swaggering appeal about the generous cast’s interpretation, but sound problems slightly mar the enjoyment (on opening night at least).

William Shakespeare’s Reservoir Dogs. Photo © Tom Noble

Tarantino’s LA diamond-heist-gone-wrong film gathers several strangers mostly only known by codenames like Mr Brown and Mr Blue. As their situation grows desperate, they suspect there’s an informant among them; indeed Mr Orange is an undercover cop.

William Shakespeare’s Reservoir Dogs is a fairly close 80-minute adaptation set in Elizabethan England, with the likes of Sir Pink and Pleasant Fellow Edward (for the original’s Nice Guy Eddie) wielding rapiers instead of guns – which makes the four-way Mexican stand-off a highlight.

Impressive Shakespearean scholarship drives Hopley’s script, which...