2 days Ago
Currently on at The London Coliseum, that has hosted the likes of My Fair Lady, Kiss Me Kate and Spirited Away, this musical has arrived at London’s West End fresh out of Broadway. This musical adaptation of the much more tragic novel from F. Scott Fitzgerald is the work of Kait Kerrigan, with musical scores by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen and directed by Marc Bruni.
This musical has arrived at London’s West End fresh out of Broadway. (Image: Johan Persson) Visually the show is quite a spectacle, recreating the striking aesthetic of the 20s with flapper dresses, lurid colours , sequins, moving cars and an opulent art-deco design created by Paul Tate DePoo III. The lyrics written by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen hugely drive the narrative, making the story feel more like a Hollywood romance rather than the tragedy Fitzgerald wrote of.
The story feels more like a Hollywood romance rather than the tragedy Fitzgerald wrote of. (Image: Johan Persson) We begin by being introduced to narrator and central character Nick Carraway, who introduces the audience to married couple Daisy (Frances Mayli McCann) and Tom (Jon Robyns) living in their old-money paradise. Although the veil soon slips, and the audience see a vacant wife resigned to an adulterous husband, before reconnecting with former wartime lover Jay Gatsby (Jamie Muscato).
At the same time Nick forms a romantic relationship with Jordan, although the centralisation of Daisy and Jay often leads to their relationship taking a back seat. Both Frances Mayli McCann and Amber Davies deliver on incredible vocals as Daisy and Jordan. (Image: Johan Persson) Both Frances Mayli McCann and Amber Davies deliver on incredible vocals as Daisy and Jordan which really elevate the show and highlight the culminating point in history for women and their marital rights.
One of the standout elements of the show is the choreography by Dominique Kelley, which brings a modern and unique take to the Charleston era of dance. One of the standout elements of the show is the choreography by Dominique Kelley. (Image: Johan Persson) The music is a mix of jazz and pop, which was an interesting mix to watch, although ultimately it did often mean that I forgot the very dark and sombre mood of the original plot.
Despite knowing the ending, I was still taken by surprise as the tragedy unfolded, even more so because of the hour and 30 minutes of glitz and razzle-dazzle in the lead up to the pivotal moment of Gatsby’s demise. Ultimately, whilst the show does remove a lot of the darkness from Scott’s original 1920s novel, it does deliver on plenty of glitz, dance and music which is engaging to watch..
