I’ve danced ballet since I was three and I have loved F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby equally as much since I read it for the first time a few years ago. But I had never considered that the two could ever be combined until I saw the Northern Ballet’s dazzling production at the Lyceum.
Showing in only two more locations this year – Sheffield’s Lyceum and London’s Sadler’s Wells – this innovative production, now in its decade anniversary year, directed and choreographed by David Nixon CBE (Madame Butterfly, Wuthering Heights, Dracula) stunningly unites the two art forms of literature and dance to draw a wider audience to the genre of ballet, whose high-class reputation and centuries-old storylines often put off younger audiences.
I must admit I was anxious to see how Fitzgerald’s story, which relies so much on the narration of Nick Carraway (played by Sean Bates in this production), could be transformed into a wordless dance piece. That said, I was blown away by the company’s interpretation of the story, and thought that the transition from page to stage was handled masterfully. The emphasis on music instead of dialogue managed to make a very dramatic story all the more dramatic, scored by a superb soundtrack arranged by Richard Rodney Bennett CBE (Murder on the Orient Express, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Far from the Madding Crowd). I especially appreciated how the music was able to mirror the characters’ personalities; for instance, we get light and playful woodwind when Daisy Buchanan (Dominique Larose) and Jordan Baker (Sarah Chun) dance together, whereas a much heavier tone accompanies the darker moods of Tom Buchanan (Gavin McCaig).
Every moment between Gatsby (Joseph Taylor) and Daisy was tender yet fraught with passion, but it was their pas de deux at the end of the first act that really took my breath away. Set designer Jérôme Kaplan deserves special mention for the mesmerising use of mirrors in this scene, and in fact for the overall beautifully evocative scenery that makes this production such a tour-de-force.
My top two choreographical highlights were definitely George Wilson’s (George Liang) early dance with both a car tyre and his wife Myrtle (Amber Lewis), showcasing admirable poise and control, and the overall tightness of the corps de ballet during the party scenes. Meshing classical ballet with 1920s dance styles like the charleston is easy to imagine, but almost impossible to master, and yet with Nixon’s choreography, the Northern Ballet have achieved this with flying colours.
Overall, the production was a magnificent foray into F. Scott Fitzergald’s infamously roaring twenties. With world-class talent and an efficient and creative production team, it’s no surprise that it has been nominated for a National Dance Award and a UK Theatre Award. What a show!
Northern Ballet’s The Great Gatsby is showing at the Lyceum from 21st – 25th March. Tickets available here: https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/the-great-gatsby
