The Great Gatsby, Northern Ballet, Leeds Grand Theatre
Given our current grey and stormy skies it’s rather nice to be transported to a heatwave on America’s east coast, for a few hours at least.
A beautiful set for Northern Ballet’s The Great Gatsby bathes the theatre in hazy sunshine in one of the opening scenes of David Nixon's ballet imagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel. You’re instantly in the zone, transported to a lazy, loungey Jazz Age Long Island where life is loose, and lemonade iced.
Into this world come Daisy and Tom Buchanan, her friend Jordan Baker and Daisy’s cousin, Nick Carraway. Their lives are comfy, privileged – and about to be shattered by Nick’s charismatic neighbour, Jay Gatsby who once loved and lost Daisy. The rekindling of their love is at the heart of the story and scenes cleverly replay their first meetings.
If you've read the book or seen film versions of The Great Gatsby you’ll know that place plays its own part – the distance over the water between Gatsby's and Daisy’s homes – symbolised by the flash of a lighthouse beacon.
Daisy and Gatsby’s doomed story plays out in short scenes full of energy, from the city buzz of bustling commuters to the grounds of Gatsby’s mansion with its lavish parties, to their friends' cocktail-fuelled indiscretions.
All this to brilliant music by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, at times haunting, at times playful, at time seductive, always thrillingly performed by Northern Ballet Sinfonia, what a treat to hear.
It is glorious to watch, transfixing to see deft performance in dances that are tender, confrontational, witty and sexy. Ensemble dances are pure escapism – including a joyous Charleston. Costumes are rich and luxurious, shimmering as bright as the Gatsby chandeliers.
Stars of the show are Dominique Larosse as Daisy and Joseph Taylor as Jay Gatsby. Their pas de deux are gorgeous to watch, with fine technique conveying meaningful emotion.
Also spectacular is Amber Lewis as Myrtle Wilson, who is having an affair with Tom Buchanan. She owns some steamy scenes with passion and rage, all to a sassy jazz soundtrack. Her husband George, played by George Liang, also wows with athleticism and longing in a scene played out in his mechanic’s garage.
This is all about obsession, glamour and love - and in the second act, emotions heighten, stakes are raised and there’s a thrilling denouement.
This is a wonderful production. See it in Leeds until March 18 and at Sheffield Lyceum, 21 Mar 21-25.
The Great Gatsby | Northern Ballet
