Step into the glamour and tragedy of the roaring twenties with a modern twist on The Great Gatsby.
I hope she’ll be a fool – that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.
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. It reminds audiences simultaneously of just how far the LGBTQIA+ community has come and of how far they still 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.
The cast for this spectacular adaptation of The Great Gatsby which will be staged in the round at The Cockpit are Emily Serdahl who will take on the titular role of Gatsby, the mysterious and wealthy female socialite who struggles not only with her identity but also with the pressures and expectations of womanhood. Alongside her will be Ethan Bareham as Nick Carraway, the rose-tinted narrator who begins to catch glimpses of the deception and tragedy that lie behind Gatsby’s decadent façade. Lily Carson will embody the dazzlingly wealthy Daisy Buchanan, while Roman Pitman will play her antagonistic husband Tom Buchanan. Danielle Nnene and Eleanor Dunlop will share the roles of Jordan Baker and Lucille, offering different interpretations for audiences.
Fitzgerald’s George and Myrtle Wilson will be given a fresh new twist by Fitzroy ‘Pablo’ Wickham and Vara Raturi . The characters of George and Myrtle take on greater significance in Scar Theatre’s modern adaptation as people of colour, providing a foil for Tom’s racist ideology that highlights the ever-present need to work towards an actively anti-racist society. Xoan Elsdon will play Meyer Wolfsheim and Michaelis, while Enkhtamir Erdenebulgan will return to the roles of Dr. Bergheim and Catherine after The Great Gatbsy’s run at Oxford Playhouse in 2023. Flynn Hallman will take on the roles of Mr. Gatz, and Chester.
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.
Listings
The Great Gatsby Thursday 28th December – Saturday 14 December 2024
Matinees at 2:30pm each Saturday, evening show every day 7:30pm
Location The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, London NW8 8EH
Running Time 2 hours (including 15 minute interval)
Tickets Price £18/ £14 (concessions)
Tickets The Great Gatsby | The Cockpit