THE GREAT GATSBY | HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE | UNTIL 30 SEPT | ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ 

- Advertisement -

I must confess, I’ve never read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel The Great Gatsby. I have also skipped past seeing Robert Redford’s portrayal on the silver screen, and despite having a slight obsession with Leonardo Di Caprio, I never caught his film version either.

The West Australian Ballet are currently presenting the story as a ballet. Waiting for the curtain to rise on this production I quickly read through the summary in the program, only to discover the tale has quite a convoluted plot.

However the tale of Jimmy Gatz, who has recreated his self as rich mogul Jay Gatsby, and his lost love Daisy, her cousin Nick, her husband Tom, his lover Myrtle, her husband George and mutual friend Jordan… came to life, the power of the music, the spectacle of the dance, the beauty of the costumes and stunning set took over.

Gakuro Matsui takes on the challenging role of the sullen Gatsby, his moves were phenomenal, but its a difficult character to portray when all you have it is movement. Cihiro Nomura, once again captivated audiences playing the love interest Daisy Buchanan.

Melissa Boniface revels in the sultry role as cheating wife Myrtle, the scenes where she provocatively rolls around on a bed, were one hundred per cent pure vamp. Liam Green also takes on a significant role playing her dominating husband.

Also notable is Mathew Edwardson and Carina Roberts who play young versions of the two main characters, ghostly memories that repeatedly return to remind Gatsby and Daisy of the love they lost.

The soundtrack for the work is largely comprised of pieces written by British composer Sir Richard Rodney-Bennett. It’s an intoxicating collection of music that perfectly fits the piece, while largely staying clear of the Dixieland jazz and ragtime sounds that you might associate The Great Gatsby with.

Choreographer David Nixon has made as career out adapting well known stories to ballet, which is a great contribution to the art form. Stories we already know can bring in new audiences and give a fresh perspectives on narratives we’ve engaged with before.

Aside from The Great Gatsby, Nixon has also created ballets of The Three Musketeers, Madame Butterfly, Wuthering Heights, Dracula, Hamlet and Cleopatra.

The choreographer is also the show’s costume designer, and the outfits are one of the show’s many successes. It’s a fashion parade of stylish outfits, the fill the stage subtle tones of beige, tan, white, gold and yellow.

The show also has a phenomenal set that takes the characters to a wide range of settings, much more than your traditional ballet would cover.

One of the most stunning scenes is when Gatsby and Daisy dance in front of a trio of dark windows, their reflections dancing upon the metallic material of the set. Later the scenes is echoed when a three dancing couples appear in the background, showing the subtle motifs that echo throughout the production.

After a date with a mountain of romance? Take someone out to the ballet.      

Graeme Watson

Images:  Sergey Pevnev