Monday 13 May 2013

Northern Ballet's The Great Gatsby




The roaring twenties. Filled with glitz and glamour. The music of the Jazz age plays soundtrack to the sideways glances and fleeting touches of people conducting their love affairs.

We are a nation in love with the past with period dramas dominating our TV screens and another Gatsby, from director Baz Lurhmann set to hit the screens later this month. Fitzgerald's classic book has been adapted many times, but there is always something new to discover.

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett's music is the perfect compliment to the show with upbeat numbers for the parties and slow, romantic melodies for Gatsby and Daisy's scenes together. Add to that a lively Charleston and the seductive tango and we are fully immersed in the era.

The decadence of Gatsby's parties are brought to life beautifully, but you find yourself always on the look out for the title character, and whilst you can sense his presence as the obsessesive, you sometimes find yourself wishing he was on stage a little more for the first half. Of course, once he has been reunited with his love he is more than given his time to shine.

The costumes, also designed by Nixon are tailored to be an extension of each character's personality. The sets, designed by Jérôme Kaplan, are simple and stylish, right down to Gatsby's famous yellow car and Tim Mitchell's lighting design also adds to the mood, as well as help with the many scene changes.

All this is but an elegant backdrop to the dancers. The ensemble each bring their own unique personalities to the stage whilst those playing the leads all show they have a deep understanding of their roles, always dancing with an emotion and flair that makes you feel for all of them.

Once again, Nixon has shown his skill at adapting beloved novels for the ballet and it is the passion evident in everyone's involvement that makes this one of Northern Ballet's finest productions yet.