The Great Gatsby

Like the novel itself, this adaptation by Simon Levy relies heavily on the character of Nick Carraway to carry the story and connect the many scenes. It is basically true to the novel, moving between East and West Egg and The Valley of the Ashes in a host of small, filmic scenes that are probably more suited to a much larger stage.

Brett Joachim undertakes the role of Nick, finding the naivety of the country boy, a little in awe at the ostentation of his cousin’s world – and the charisma of Jay Gatsby – but always holding himself just a little aloof. Joachim sustains the character with blinking eyes behind black-rimmed glasses, moving from narrator to participant smoothly.

Not so smooth are the scenes, or the scene changes, many of which appear embarrassingly awkward for the stage crew as they push and pull furniture out of one scene whilst another is occurring – or whilst Joachim is valiantly introducing the next ‘chapter’ of the story. Trying to establish so many different settings has also meant that the action in some scenes is restricted to rather static poses. Perhaps it is this, as well as the short scenes, that make the characters seem to be lacking the depth and dimension of those F. Scott Fitzgerald created.

Adam Gardner is an almost reclusive Jay Gatsby, Kate Gandy a pensively posing Daisy Buchanan, Heidi Baleisi a more animated Jordan Baker, and Matt Cook a constantly aggressive Tom Buchanan.

The costumes are true to the time and are worn well by both the central characters and the ensemble. Dance scenes are choreographed to fit the space and the use of a projected ‘newsreel’ of America in Prohibition as the lights go down sets the mood of the times appropriately.

It is brave for any small company to take on a production of Gatsby so soon after Baz Luhrmann did it with such colour, expense and flair. This one will probably run a little more smoothly as the run unfolds, but the adaptation lacks the dialogue that is necessary to make the characters more complex.

Carol Wimmer