A heartbreaking tale of love, loss and social stratification, the quintessential Jazz Age novel, famed worldwide, revealed the dark underbelly of the dazzling American Dream. Now, Scar Theatre’s new adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel reveals how these themes from the Roaring Twenties remain equally relevant today. This thrilling adaptation remains faithful to Fitzgerald’s text and original themes while breathing new life and meaning into the flamboyant story, reminding audiences simultaneously of how far we’ve come, and how much further we have to go to achieve true equality.
Nick, a young and ambitious stockbroker, is befriended by the mysterious, magnetic heroine, Jay Gatsby. Initially enamoured with the lavish lifestyle of the nouveau-riche, Nick begins to catch glimpses of the deception and tragedy that lie behind Gatsby’s decadent façade.
Casting Gatsby as a woman, Scar Theatre offer a bold reinterpretation that explores gender, class and ambition in an intoxicating world of wealth and illusion. Their subversion also challenges Tom’s explicit racism (often unexplored by adaptations), the lived experience of the working classes and the silenced queer experience of the 1920s. This queer, feminist retelling of the classic 1920s tale, presents Gatsby as you have never seen before, highlighting the social politics of the time and the struggles of characters.
Co-writers Mina Moniri and Peter Todd comment, We are thrilled to present an adaptation of The Great Gatsby that speaks to the complexities of today’s world as much as it does to the joys and struggles of the roaring twenties. Here, the characters’ quiet longing for the ‘American Dream’ becomes a vibrant call to arms for equality and justice for all. A labour of love for everyone involved, the crew and cast have been working tirelessly since we closed our regional run in Oxford to make this version of the show better and grander. Staging the show in the round has led to us developing a strong, consistent dance and movement language to make a more intimate production, while remaining true to the grandeur and opulence of the story.
