21 Aug 2025
Deborah Heath is transported back to the Roaring Twenties for OVO’s take on the Fitzgerald classic…
Successfully capturing the beauty and selfishness of the Jazz Age, this sublime adaptation of F. Scott Fitsgerald’s classic 1920s novel is possibly the most enjoyable production I have seen at The Roman Theatre Festival to date.
You get the impression of everything at the height of its game coming together at the wave of a genie’s hand from performances to technical and creative realisation.
I even considered starting this review with a “Wow!” but thought I owed OVO more so here we go.
After the success of ‘A Christmas Carol’, Mark O’Sullivan has proved once again that he is a master of adapting a well-known text for the stage. He captures its substance and spirit whilst honouring its dialogue, structure and characters. This is no mean feat for a novel like ‘The Great Gatsby’ which is in many ways a mood piece with very few concrete moments of action and lots of descriptive passages. For me it has always had an ethereal quality – particularly the hottest day of the year scene and the parties which I imagined through the mist of a drunken haze.
The dream team of adaptor/producer Mark and director Kelly Ann Stewart have realised this beautifully in their production which transports the audience to the dizzying environment of a speakeasy, The Green Light Club, where the action of the story is played out.
This made us, the audience, complicit in the action, rather like our storyteller Nick. As we sat back and enjoyed the exquisite singing and dancing as much as he did, we understood how easy it must have been to just go along with the party vibe and ignore the destructive behaviour of those around him. I loved the build of intrigue during Act I with the occasional whispers of “Gatsby” which created such a buzz throughout the auditorium on the balmy summer’s evening.
The cast of six were extremely talented with strong, clear singing voices and convincing character portrayals. Nick, in many ways a cipher and thus an extremely difficult role to play, was given the perfect level of character depth by Jonathan Tynan-Moss so that we could connect with him whenever we needed to. Jessica Vickers played spoilt Daisy with ease, showing the chinks in her armour that drove her behaviour.
Tom, a singularly unpleasant presence, was handled absolutely as he should be by David Joseph Healy as an out and out narrow-minded boor. Rochelle Jack was not only a very sympathetic Myrtle but an outstanding singer. Jordan, my favourite character, an inspiring successful sportswoman with a great sense of humour was embodied perfectly by Monica Sharp who really looked like she had stepped out of the 1920s. Gatsby himself (Nathan French) really captured the power and enigma that drove the plot. A winning team of six.
However, if I could have made one change to the play it would be to make it a cast of seven because to have an actor playing such a pivotal role as Gatsby alongside smaller roles felt a little uncomfortable. This is no reflection on Nathan French’s outstanding portrayals of all roles and I daresay it was a practical consideration.
Musical direction under Andrew McCormack, who accompanied all songs on the piano, was breathtaking. Harmonising was spot on, the use of drums to build and sustain tension was expertly handled and it was great to see some well-placed actor musician saxophone work.
It left me wanting more and I mean this as a compliment, not a criticism. Ryan Munroe’s choreography was also a sight to be behold and I felt in awe of the dancing talent of these triple threat performers.
1920s design was fully embraced by OVO, from Simon Nicholas’ art deco set to Cieranne Kennedy-Bell’s glittering costumes. Hannah Stanley’s sound was spot-on and I loved Caitlin MacGregor’s use of lighting to bring out the mood and themes in the play. For instance the use of greyness and greens during a late horrible scene was very affecting.
However, even the perfect raw components do not make an outstanding production.
What sets this show apart is how everything and everyone worked together. A perfect example would be the car scenes, including ‘He’d Have To Get Under’, in which actors, lighting, props, movement and movement were expertly brought together by Kelly Anne Stewart.
Another stroke of genius was the silent movie enactment of ‘The Hottest Day of the Year’ which brought a different energy to proceedings.
If you love this novel as much as I do, 1920s design or music you will not be disappointed. OVO’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ is quite simply a sublime show which creates atmosphere – highs, lows, building tension and downright horror. You must become a part of this so buy a ticket before it is too late!
