War and Peace
THREE STARS | Gladstone never takes himself too seriously, allowing the audience to laugh along with him
Rating: ★★★
Company: Ryan Gladstone, Vancouver
Genre: Play — Comedy
Venue: 13 — Bandwidth Theatre
The best thing about War and Peace — other than the source material — is Ryan Gladstone's energy level. I would place it several notches higher in pitch than a hummingbird sipping Red Bull.
The best thing about 'War and Peace' [...] is Ryan Gladstone's energy level. I would place it several notches higher in pitch than a hummingbird sipping Red Bull.- John Sadoway
Accompanying his madcap delivery, he also has crafted effective tableau poses that aid an audience in keeping straight the cascading list of Russian names from Tolstoy's classic.
He renders a passable summary and accentuates the highlights of the novel while delivering interesting and poignant background about Tolstoy's life.
In one way it is good that Gladstone never takes himself too seriously because it allows the audience to laugh along with his many asides, blown lines and self-deprecation.
The small trouble is that the script and performance are good enough to see how great the show would be with more precision and polish. I think I just end up seeing Gladstone's shows too soon after he finishes writing them.
