The Great Gatsby is one of those timeless works that artists want to recreate. The latest rendition a stunning production from a partnership between Queensland Theatre and Shake & Stir Theatre Company.
When it was released in 1925, the original F. Scott Fitzgerald novel wasn’t a commercial success. A tragic story set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, New York, readers apparently weren’t impressed. But, unexpectedly, the book found a new audience in the 1940s. American soldiers were given free copies, propelling it into legendary status without the late author ever having known.
The younger generation might know the Baz Luhrmann film with Leonardo di Caprio, but there were several movies before that, including the 1974 version starring Robert Redford. So, what is it with the fascination for a young man narrating a story about his cousin’s wealthy neighbour throwing parties and living a life of decadence?
The story is obviously a commentary on excess and unbridled desire, but there’s a touching love story at its heart. In this production, narrator Nick Carraway is played perfectly by Ryan Hodson, as the cousin of Daisy Buchanan (Jess Vickers), who’s married to the unfaithful Tom (Jeremiah Wray). As Nick comes to form a friendship with the neighbour, the glamorous Jay Gatsby (Shiv Parekar), he learns that the latter has not chosen his new address randomly. There’s a history between him and Daisy and he wants to recapture the magic they once shared.
There was overt racism in the U.S. at the time, so casting Parekar – who has happily revealed his Indian heritage – strengthens Gatsby’s reputation as an outsider. Looking down on him for not having an Ivy League and “old money” background is the overbearing Tom, played with suitable bravura by Wray. And then there’s Jess Vickers’ nuanced portrayal of the unhappy Daisy, who appears to have it all but, like Gatsby, yearns for a life that might have existed if it hadn’t been for the onset of war.
Libby Munro manages to steal most scenes she’s in as the cynical pro golfer Jordan Baker. Dressed in silky garb and tottering around on high heels, her tongue is a sharp barb that the everyman, Nick Carraway, finds very attractive. But can he really deal with her thoroughly modern ways? The two actors play off each other eliciting several laughs from the audience.
It’s hard to believe that it’s Shake & Stir’s 20th anniversary. The company has made a notable mark on the theatrical landscape of Brisbane with its bold adaptations and innovative productions. The Great Gatsby will stand as one of the best. Nelle Lee, who shines in the relatively small role of Myrtle, is one of the co-adapters, as is Queensland Theatre’s Daniel Evans, who also shares directing credits with Shake & Stir’s Nick Skubij. It is a melding of prodigious minds and talents.
Accolades too to set and costume designer Christina Smith for her vivid and exciting work. The party scenes all but pulsate off the stage, while the use of moving rooms within a black frame that extends and contracts at will makes for a compelling audience experience. Adding to the magic is Loren Hunter’s amazing voice, as, fresh from her central role of Charity Valentine in Sweet Charity, she croons songs throughout.
The music from composer and sound designer Guy Webster, is an important factor in the overall party-to-excess effect, as is the lighting from lighting designer Trent Suidgeest. And as for the glitter and tinsel, there’s no shortage of it! The Great Gatsby is on QPAC Playhouse until 8th March, 2026.
Vicki Englund
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- 1984 (Shake & Stir Theatre Company) at Comedy Theatre and touring – theatre review
- A Christmas Carol (QPAC) – theatre review
- Fourteen (shake & stir) – theatre review
Vicki Englund is a film, TV and theatre reviewer, a credited TV screenwriter on shows including The Bureau of Magical Things and Home and Away, and a film screenwriter with several projects in development. She was the daily TV reviewer for The Courier Mail for 11 years and has reviewed films and TV for Rave Magazine, Time Off, The Courier Mail and Daily Review.
