The Great Gatsby: An Immersive Experience
“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired”
Not to brag, but I was seated personally by Jay Gatsby himself.
The Great Gatsby is a tragedy written by F. Scott Fitzgerald set in 1920s America where the wealthy squander their money, behaving recklessly, loving foolishly. The story centres around love triangles between a mysterious Jay Gatsby and a married (to a cheating Tom Buchanan) Daisy Buchanan. They throw grand parties as facades to their unhappy lives, only to end in murder and suicide.
Though immersive theatre is always very interactive, the success of this show exceeded my expectations. I spent the entirety of the show skirting actors, hoping to not get called, but also curious enough to tail them from a safe distance and not miss out on the juicy drama.
Roaring twenties fashion doesn’t exist in London now, for good reason. It’s simply too cold, as was Gatsby’s Drugstore. But amidst masking the shivering for jazz hands, the open bar throughout the show made the chills less uncomfortable. Gatsby’s Drugstore is a shady derelict building, but with a charm capturing the hedonistic pleasures of the 1920s. Large dance floors, two bars, balcony, and other hidden rooms are left for the audience to roam through and explore, just like in a house party.
The chandeliers, sofas, and pianos scream ostentatious at the viewer, but together with the atmosphere, I began to believe the absurdity of that lifestyle. In fact, I was a part of it.
Cast and audience were dressed alike in art deco style, making the line between reality and the fiction very thin. We learnt how to do the Charleston dance with Miss Baker, and an audience member ranked the best dancers. Everyone was in character (but my hurt for not being chosen was real). Throughout the show, the arguing characters would storm off taking some of the audience with them, forming allies. Ms Baker dragged me and some other ladies to Daisy’s room and we decided what she should wear to her tea with Gatsby (we had to settle for a white dress because Daisy’s maid has no sense of style and didn’t pack anything good enough).
The premise of the show is to transform and take the audience to the times of 1920s America for about 85 minutes. They did this very well, judging by some teary faces at Myrtle’s funeral. What’s even more special is that all your reactions and contributions matter and make a difference to the specifications of the story. The active improvisations were a testament to the skills of the actors, with special mention to Ivy Corbin (playing Jordan Baker) who clearly stole every scene with her glamorous persona.
For those Fitzgerald fans who are looking to appreciate the literature and the Daisy-Gatsby dream team, sadly this isn’t a show for you. But for the Gatsby fandom who want to be a part of the story, tickets are available till July.
Although you won’t get to take photos until the very end (“phones in the 1920s would shock the people out of their minds”), the Charleston dance moves you learn will make you the suavest person during your next night out.
-4 stars
