Results tagged “Tolstoy” from Birmingham Post - Lifestyle Blog

Everything about War and Peace is epic. The straggling, listless columns of hungry humanity, the empty eyes, the impatient silence as they steel themselves for the next stage of the struggle.

And that's just the queue for the restaurant between the two halves of the Shared Experience production which filled Warwick Arts Centre last week.

Actually, the queue for the excellent Eat restaurant was no joke. The last time I saw anything quite as daunting at WAC was the lines of kids waiting for Jacqueline Wilson to sign their books. But it's a clear indicator of the show's popularity and the canniness of WAC in bringing pioneering work to the region. More of which later.

The original production of War and Peace, adapted by the acclaimed writer Helen Edmundson, had a brief outing at the National a dozen years ago. This new touring version, with the involvement of Nottingham Playhouse and Hampstead Theatre, provides a chance for more people to experience what is clearly a major theatrical event.

We're off to see what promises to be a great piece of modern theatre. So what's the first priority?

Clothes.

No, not as in dickie (dicky?) bow and pashmina. No one dresses up for a show these days, unless it's Rocky Horror or something equally camp.

Warwick Art Centre, bless their hearts, are bringing in another terrific production - you must keep an eye on warwickartscentre.co.uk. Some of the best shows I've seen in the past couple of years have been there.

This time it's the Shared Experience production of Tolstoy's classic War and Peace first staged at the National in 1996. It's being revived in a joint venture with Nottingham Playhouse and Hampstead Theatre. Tickets on 02476524524 or online.