Boys’ Division Great Hall, 7-10 December at 7:30 pm
This December, pupils in years 10 to 13 will present an adaptation of The Great Gatsby in the Boys' Division Great Hall. It is 100 years since F. Scott Fitzgerald's character Jay Gatsby threw his lavish parties and we will be marking the occasion with a cabaret style show.
Set in post-war Paris and Jazz Age New York, the show provides The Lost Generation context of the novel's genesis and tells the tragic story of Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, focusing upon his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman whom he loved in his youth. Nick Carraway, a Yale University graduate from the Midwest, is our guide through the show. Nick recounts the events of the fateful summer of 1922.
The novel has been adapted for the stage by our Foundation Director of Creative Learning, Naomi Lord. Writer Willa Cather commented that 'the world broke in half in 1922 or thereabouts' and the 1920s was without doubt a decade of distinctive qualities. The show considers the state of the world in 1922 and leaves an open question, 'what has changed in the intervening years?'
In 1922 the world had just emerged from a war that had killed millions and a global pandemic - the Spanish Flu - that had killed tens of millions more. The era was also known for excess, as well as relaxation of and rapid change in social politics and behaviours. In 1922 the Ottoman Empire fell, the British Empire was showing signs of decay, the USSR was founded and Mussolini and his Blackshirts began their march to Rome.
The cast will present the joy and the freedoms of the 1920s along with the unsettling prescience of Fitzgerald's tale of boom before bust - the Wall Street Crash arrives in 1929 and the '30s rapidly decend into World War 2 - in an immersive Jazz Age environment, opening in Europe and hopping across to the USA. The show is accompanied by live music from our Gatsby Band led by Head of Boys' Division Music, Miss Sherry.
The Great Gatsby runs from Wednesday 7th December to Saturday 10th December with a 7.30 pm start each evening. The Great Hall will be transformed into the Roaring '20s. Guests are invited to dress to impress; era specific attire is encouraged. Tickets are priced at £10 and tables seat up to 10 guests. It is not necessary to fill a table; individual, small group and table bookings are all welcome.
To make a booking: Please use 'Gatsby' as the reference and include the date you wish to attend + number of tickets you wish to reserve in the reason for payment box.
If you have any questions about the processing of your booking, there is an enquiry button on the Shopfront page. Tickets should be collected on the door on the evening you come along to watch the show. All other enquires should be directed to Miss Lord at [email protected].
Show updates can be enjoyed via Twitter @_NaomiLord.
