THE GREAT GATSBY - REVIEW

As part of its open-air theatre tour, Tethered Wits bring their retelling of The Great Gatsby to the stunning Actors Church in London. This reimagined version attempts to focus on the unattainable American dream, and how each character is limited in some way whether that’s through social origins, gender, or privilege. This is emphasised numerous times with the repeated line, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” Even as an audience, we are made to repeat this (which felt very forced and cringeworthy).

The show begins with a solo speech by Oliver Stockley as Nick Carraway, investing the audience quickly with his confidence and charm. Throughout, he balances this charm with narration, and does a fine job of connecting us with his quick wits, even when the lines are perhaps debatable. However, this unfortunately is not enough to keep this production afloat.

A lot is going on in the 120-minute run time, with the cast of 5 multi-roling throughout, which makes it confusing to follow at times, and difficult to understand and engage with each of the characters. It feels like a showcase of abilities and whilst there’s no denying that the cast is talented, I don’t feel that all that is shown is used in an effective way, nor essential to the storyline.

When many think about Gatsby, it’s the lavish parties that come to mind which are lightly touched on in this production but don’t add that glitz and glamour feel that one would hope for. Without any prior knowledge of this tale, following it could be near impossible with missing information, little clarity, and a lack of intentions behind character directions.

There is a noticeable lack of symbolism missing from this piece and ways in which certain creative choices are made such as the green ‘light’ sheet or hanging eyes would make little to no relevance to previous understanding. This in turn appears unintentionally comical which is not what is needed for such poignant moments.

Props are over utilised throughout and confuse some scenes; during one scene a phone conversation takes place, but only one person visibly holds a phone. The character deaths are also unclear, with an attempt at an imaginative use of fabric as a car, which, unfortunately, doesn’t work. This production highlights that less is more. For a company making theatre outdoors, this production seems to show little consideration in instrument choices, sound use, and projection, not allowing for high-quality delivery, but I do understand that this isn’t an easy area.

Although the instruments may not have been used in the best interest of the piece it is nice to see an assortment of instruments used, it’s always a joy to hear well-played live music. The tap dancing as the rhythm of the train also stood out as it is innovative and accurate.

There is a good level of humour throughout the piece and I l give credit to Deakin Van Leeuwen (mainly playing Tom Buchanan) who excels with comedic tone and timing; the lawnmower part is one I shall remember.

Rory Dulku stands out, doubling up as both Gatsby and George Wilson, he has the most contrasting characters, which allows him to show range within his performance. He delivers Gatsby with an air of authority, confidence, and obsession; as George, he has a more dynamic development with an emotional charge.

Ultimately, this production leaves out important elements for devoted fans and offers little clarity and understanding for new viewers. I enjoyed the concept of a different approach to this well-known story but unfortunately, this production misses the mark.

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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