Sharing an epic experience

If you're curious and missed the Coventry dates, the tour ends at Cheltenham Everyman in May. The site at www.sharedexperience.org.uk has full details.

It is, of course, impossible to capture the full panoply of Tolstoy's novel in a play, even in a piece lasting more than five hours. We miss the authorial voice with its philosophical musings which underpin so much of the character development and the sprawling narrative, vast in time and geography. But directors Nancy Meckler and Polly Teale and some fine ensemble playing convey a real sense of the mutability of life, the shifts in fortune and romantic entanglements mirroring the uncertainty of battle.

Angela Simpson's minimal set design with its reflecting surfaces is extremely effective and the use of large gilded picture frames to enclose specific events and set pieces works brilliantly.

There are moments when the aristocracy indulge in group choreography with flashing silver knives and forks, sometimes at meals, at other times during formal dances, as manners and acquired graces (literally social polish) take over from natural feelings - a Tolstoyan insight turned into an arresting stage device.

Similarly, there is use of fashionable semi-dance shapes during battle sequences and plangent Russian folk song is deployed to great effect throughout.

But at its heart the piece depends on us sympathising with the changes that war - and peace, of course - bring to a small group of Tsarist (and largely unquestioningly Christian) aristocrats.

It's this which has always left me unmoved by the text, but fair dues, there are performances here which are worth five hours of anyone's time to catch.

Jeffery Kissoon's Bolkonsky has an almost likeable irascibility, where I think Tolstoy sees him as a monster, but it's a reading of great skill and presence.

Again, I think we only sympathise with the Pierre of the later stages of the narrative because we have seen him at his vilest early on. But here Barnaby Kay's assured performance is rather too attractive throughout for my taste

Louise Ford's Natasha encompasses her journey from innocence to experience with great skill and believability and there are standout turns from Des McAleer and Katie Wimpenny, but in truth, the whole company is in splendid form.

There seem to be rather too many opportunities set up to go for a quick laugh, but that's probably a churlish judgment on what is a fascinating theatre experience. Thanks to WAC for bringing it to us.

In true modern journalistic fashion, I have to add that anyone who liked this is bound to be interested in the Cheek by Jowl Russian company in Pushkin's Boris Gudonov, which will be at Coventry from May 6. It was seen to great acclaim at WAC in 2001 and is again being offered in Russian with English surtitles.

Similarly, if it's a war theme you're keen on, National Theatre of Scotland's joyously received Black Watch starts on April 24.

And if you're really looking ahead, booking is now open for the Christmas show, always one of the best in the region. It's Beauty and the Beast and, in true WAC tradition, is a rather different take on the fairytale.

You must bookmark www.warwickartscentre.co.uk to keep in touch with this and lots of other great stuff.