Image credit: Johan Persson
It takes a big show to fill the London Coliseum and the new musical version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is more than up to the task.
Taking up a summer residency at the vast venue, this Broadway production isn't merely big - it's massive, as overblown as Fitzgerald's novel is slim, as in-your-face as the book is subtle, as celebratory of 1920s excesses as the author was satirical about them.
To say that the production design by the spendidly-named Paul Tate DePoo III, the costumes by Linda Cho, Dominique Kelley's choreography and Cory Pattak's lighting are lavish is an understatement.
It's like the 20s has exploded on a stage that's filled with flappers and dandies, huge picture windows, chaise longues, opulent mansions, a "tiny little cottage" that's bigger than most modern homes and a full-size car.
Well, not just one full-size car but two of them. The show flaunts its excesses just as its protagonist, the enigmatic socialite Jay Gatsby, flaunts his wealth.
There's a wall of shirts stretching towards the heavens and a library which (thanks to the production's ingenious use of projections to extend scenery and props instead of as a replacement for them) is so well-stocked it would take several lifetimes to read its contents.
All of which makes The Great Gatsby a stunning spectacle, albeit one that misses the point of the original story.
It's more akin to Baz Luhrmann's over-the-top film version starring Leonardo DiCaprio, except with a score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen of Jazz Age homages instead of anachronistic pop songs.
The music is fine and energetically staged, although I didn't leave humming any of the tunes.
I was, however, full of admiration for former High School Musical star Corbin Bleu's winning performance as Nick Carraway - Gatsby's neighbour and narrator of a tale in which the latter's wooing of his old flame Daisy Buchanan ends in tragedy.
Jamie Muscato and Frances Mayli McCann are less impressive as those star-crossed lovers. They both have wonderful singing voices, but their pairing lacks chemistry and he's more pale and menacing than tanned and charismatic. Add in corny dialogue and a rushed ending and it's hard to care what happens to them.
As a spectacle, though, this take on The Great Gatsby is something to behold. It may not stir the emotions but it's a gorgeous feast for the eyes, and for a lot of theatregoers that will be more than enough.
The Great Gatsby is at the London Coliseum until 7 September.
Saga Magazine has teamed up with London Theatre Direct to offer you tickets at the best prices.
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