Arts > Theatre

The Great Gatsby ballet

15/04/15

The design for this ballet was impeccable. From the costumes inspired by Chanel that fluttered and glittered under the lights to the modernist and minimal set design that hinted so subtly the rooms and spaces where the action took place, everything was spot on.

Stylish but also full of passion, regret and love, the story of The Great Gatsby is indeed a tragic one. For this version by the Northern Ballet, you really did need to know the story beforehand as it's a complex and intertwined one. However, the ballet itself was beautiful enough to be able to enjoy it without full understanding as well. The dancers all danced very well indeed, and put their utmost effort into acting their parts to tell the story; no mean feat with this one. I also very much enjoyed the amount of solo and duet work from the men in the company. Mostly, in traditional ballet, the men seem to be there to be a prince or a father, merely supporting the women. However, in this ballet the men were on an equal footing to the women and it felt very natural. We particularly enjoyed the duet between Gatsby and Nick; so fluid and yet strong, it truly reflected their friendship.

Stand out performances for me were Isaac Lee-Baker for his strong and striking portrayal of George Wilson, and also respect has to go to the whole orchestra. The music played was an evocative mix of jazz and popular hits from the 20's. They played superbly and it was marvellous to have live music to accompany the dancers, especially when they did the Charleston or a Tango as part of a scene. The main characters of Daisy and Gatsby were played perfectly and with such strong emotion. Their truly romantic series of duets brought a tear to my eye. Kenneth Tindall as Tom did a great job; amazing to see a man dancing so gracefully and with such expression in a full suit!

Overall, a very memorable, evocative and stylish night. Kudos to the tiny girl who played Daisy's daughter for staying up so late and doing such a good job with the bowing!