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★★★★
This weekend I kicked off my theatre reviews for 2025, starting with ‘The Great Gatsby’ at the Golden Goose Theatre in Camberwell, London. Adapted and directed by Leopold Benedict, this version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel has been touring various countries across Europe, with the company performing to sometimes 400-500+ people at different venues. The Golden Goose is a far smaller space than this, supporting 85 seats, so I was intrigued to find out how this production would fare in an intimate fringe venue.
About the adaptation
Leopold Benedict’s version is a play with live music and dance sequences, not quite fitting the description of a musical theatre production. It stays true to the original storyline and has a running time of 80 minutes without an interval. The music is a welcome addition, especially when used to recreate the 1920s decade, and alongside the period costume design and larger-than-life characters, it transports the audience back to the roaring jazz age. On the whole it is a considerably entertaining adaptation of the book, featuring stellar cast performances, the creative use of props (specifically old model cars to mimic the vehicle scenes) and slick scene transitions. In my opinion it is just slightly too fast paced in its current form.
Pacing and timing
The script is exhilarating, with the company covering the tale at lightning speed through dialogue, song, instrumentals and dance. As somebody who usually prefers theatre to be on the shorter, more punchy side, I was surprised to find the first half of this version slightly too quick for my taste. The creative team gets away with the rapid pacing because this story is so well known, but if it were any other adaptation, there could be a risk of audiences struggling to keep up. The later scenes are presented at a much more digestible speed and I would have preferred to have seen this approach throughout the whole production.
Lighting design
The lighting is a standout element, with James Denny’s design cleverly showcasing the changing moods of the source material. The effects are exceedingly varied and cover a range of hues, but it is the ambient, low lighting which really makes you believe you are watching a 1920s piece. Even with almost no set, you truly feel as if you have stepped into an enigmatic speakeasy, highlighting the positive impact that the lighting has on the overall production value.
Cast performances
Alex Figueiredo leads the company as the narrator Nick Carraway, taking you through this whirlwind story over the course of the play. Most of the cast are responsible for playing multiple roles on stage and they move between the contrasting personalities with ease. The supporting characters in ‘The Great Gatsby’ are largely memorable and comedic, with Saskia Marguerite stealing the show as Jordan Baker and others. They bring so much humour and old Long Island charm to each scene that they are in, specifically highlighted in their musical performance of ‘Toot, Toot, Tootsie!’.
Overall thoughts
Overall this is a highly enjoyable version of ‘The Great Gatsby’, which captures the Jazz Age wonderfully in a fringe setting. It is proof that you don’t always need sets to produce a strong piece of period theatre; fun props and silly physical theatre can go a long way to taking audiences back in time. Leopold Benedict’s adaptation has now concluded its run at the Golden Goose, but the show will transfer to the Etcetera Theatre in Camden from Tuesday 14th – Thursday 16th January. You can purchase tickets via the theatre’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘The Great Gatsby’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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