The Great Gatsby

You may know the book or have seen the film but to see F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in ballet is a beauty to behold.

1920s America is an exciting period to portray, post war exuberance, rebellious styles, jazz music and decadence, all fresh in our minds from the 2013 Baz Luhrman film and of course the luscious Boardwalk Empire. Hot on the high standard heels of these big budget belters David Nixon's production of The Great Gatsby manages to capture the Roaring Twenties feel superbly.

The first thing that strikes you about this production is the simple but grand looking sets. Soaring shapes and clever use of simple lines, lights and shade which lend a Hitchcock infused atmosphere to excellent effect. Ocean moods and east coast mansions verandas come and go, complete with boardwalk, Nucky would be right at home.

The icing on the production cake is the sumptuous costumes. Delicious suits and delicate gowns that take your breath away. It always takes me 10 minutes or so to get used to a ballet performance minus the tights and tutus but the in no time I was caught up in the sequins and chiffons that steal the show.

A series of beautifully choreographed social meetings and parties reveal complex existing relationships in our Long Island social circle. We follow the arrival of Nick Carraway into the prestigious east coast neighbourhood, next door to the Gatsby mansion and across the bay from his blonde cutesy cousin Daisy.

Visiting Daisy and her boozey brute of a society husband Tom, Nick soon discovers Tom is also keeping a mistress in the form of sassy Mrytle, who is also wife of struggling mechanic Wilson, played with rippling diet coke break vigour by Mathew Topliss. 

The Gatsby link is made as Nick meets his enigmatic millionaire neighbour, thrower of epic parties in his sea facing mansion, where Gatsby spends hours gazing wistfully across the bay at the light from Daisy's house. Through Gatsby's troubled reminiscences we learn that he and the delicate Daisy were starcrossed young lovers before the war, with Gatsby heartbroken to discover she married while he was away in Europe. Throughout his rise to mob backed fortune he has always lived sadly for those lost days. With Nick's aid a meeting between Gatsby and Daisy is orchestrated at Nick’s house, and the couple rediscover their love.

The complex love story builds to a heated climax where underlying themes of love and loss, class and corruption are exposed. Needless to say it's not going to end well.

Now then, this is a lot to get across without the telling words of the book. Does David Nixon manage it through the show? On the whole yes, you get the gist, but while they follow the book carefully some of the detail isn't too clear unless you know the story, especially in the climatic second half.

The score and some of the choreography are not typical ballet, blending classic movements with innovative physicality and utilising all manner of 20s dance moves through the jazz infused film style score. Particular gem's including Charlston charged party scenes at the Gatsby mansion, the hustle and bustle of the Manhatten streets and noir scenes of mobsters out collecting protection money.

The cast performances were all excellent, with great character performances from the boozey Tom Buchanan played by Hironao Takahashi and his lower east side mistress Myrtyle played with sassy sensuality by Abigail Prudames, especially in their torrid sex scene. Gatsby is delivered with enigmatic elegance by a superb Javier Torres and the company is as sharp as you could ask for.

If you are a ballet fan you will love this production, if you are a ballet newby this is a perfect introduction, especially if you have an eye for fabulous twenties fashions.

Northern Ballet’s The Great Gatsby plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal from Tuesday 30th  September to Saturday 4th October 2014.