The musical includes a lavish sprinkling of songs added by composer and lyricist Joe Evans, which isn’t strictly necessary but they give the hedonistic flapper era setting a lively kick and add a poignant wistfulness to idly rich and unhappily married Daisy Buchanan’s yearning for her first love.
With a minimal set, it’s left predominantly to the lovely costumes to conjure the lazy wealth of the society in which, for a brief period, her cousin Nick (a self-effacing Raphael Vernon) finds himself involved.
Party-going Lucille (Alyssa Noble, who’s also responsible for the choreography) has enough energy for a roomful of revellers, Sean Browne is appropriately unreadable as the enigmatic Gatsby and Peta Cornish brings a heart as well as cynicism to the role of Jordan Baker.
Matilda Sturridge’s Daisy has a plaintive catch to her voice and although there’s a certain sacrifice of subtlety in Linnie Readman’s production, the story, as ever, sucks you in to its tragic climax.
Kings Head Theatre, Upper Street, N1 1QN
Tube | Angel
Until 1st September
Tickets: £10- £22.50
kingsheadtheatre.com
Photo: Patrick Dodds
Pictured: Sean Browne (Gatsby) and Matilda Sturridge (Daisy)
