Photo credit Sam Taylor.
The two and a half-hour long immersive adaptation of Great Gatsby has moved from Lambeth and is now performing in it’s a new venue which used to be the home of Queen Victoria’s Rifle Association in Davies Street, Mayfair.
The main event room has a backdrop featuring two art deco mirrors separated by a mock waterfall. A raised seating on the right gives the audience a great view of the dance floor where several period dances and a lot of the main action takes place. The piano is staged on the left-hand side with a glass chandelier above setting the scene of wealth and opulence associated with the Great Gatsby.
If you ever wanted to learn the Charleston here is your perfect opportunity as the cast lead you comprehensively through the steps before doing a round or two of the dance. This is just one of the interactive dance routines that take place throughout the evening. Everyone is encouraged to take part without feeling pressured.
Full cast pictured above. Photo credit Helen Maybanks.
Nick Carraway played by James Lawrence narrates the audience through the main parts of the storyline which are broken up by various scenes which are vital to the story and then groups break off into minor plots in other private rooms. As with many immersive experiences you tend to miss just as much as you see with so many sub-stories running at the same time.
The men pictured above all looked extremely dapper and impeccable in their stylish suits. The ladies looked iconic for the era and Myrtle Wilson (Hannah Edwards) in the photo below looked stunning in her purple sequined dress, with matching feathers in her headdress and up close I could see that even her lipstick matched faultlessly.
Photo credit by Sam Taylor.
Choreographer Holly Beasley-Garrigan’s most certainly worked hard with so many different scenes to organise in this reasonably large production. I dare say she’s spent many hours in rehearsal refining the routines with the cast and it has certainly paid off well.
Directed and adapted by Alexander Wright this production is very good and the amount of work he has put into this immersive experience certainly leaves a lasting impression on you.
It’s definitely an extraordinary night out where dressing up is actively encouraged and with so much entertainment going on throughout the evening you are spoiled for choice as to where to go next. Cocktails are available in abundance from the bar so grab yourself a taste of the 1920s, Gatsby style.
Four Stars.
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