Jeff and Ryan Gladstone in Riot! Monster Theatre at Edmonton Fringe 2025. Photo supplied
Riot! (Stage 15, Campus Saint-Jean Auditorium)
By Liz Nicholls, .ca
Imagine this: a time and place when live theatre was such a big deal that it caused a deadly riot.
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What happened in NYC in 1849 is awe-inspiring: two rival Shakespearean actors (one American and one English), two Macbeths … 10,000 people were involved, there were 30 deaths, the National Guard got called in with cannons — and (a rare occurrence even at theatre festivals) a sheep carcass got thrown onto the stage.
The real-life brothers Jeff and Ryan Gladstone, of Vancouver-based Monster Theatre, long-time Fringe faves and eagle-eyed historical researchers, have fashioned an irresistibly funny and sharply executed new show, Riot!, “how to start a riot, in five acts,” from this extraordinary moment in history. William Macready is the snooty Brit star, much praised for his exquisite finesse with iambic pentameter. The all-American actor is Edwin Forrest, known for his manly refusal to dally with a phoney accent, his “improvements” of Shakespeare lines (“it is the east, and Juliet is looking fine”), and his muscular calves.
Not only are Macready and Forrest both touring the Scottish play at the same time, for starters, but they are sabotaging each other’s performances. Enter the scandal-hungry media — but, soft, that’s Act II of How To Start A Riot. Wrap you mind around this: gangs of thugs finding their excuse to riot in live theatre rivalries and contrastive acting styles? The quick-witted Gladstones, as directed by Lois Anderson, would never pass up a bizarre theatrical opportunity like that.
What makes Riot! so engaging is its speed (no creeping in of this petty pace), its lightness of touch, the evident amusement of the quick-witted duo, their ingenuity in populating the stage. And their dexterity at making audience participation truly fun is a rare skill. All this, with a subtext accompaniment of sibling rivalry that is very funny. Haven’t you always wanted to hurl things at the stage?
They’re smart, and they’re charming. This should be a Monster hit.
