It’s 1929. The Roaring Twenties are flickering out, and the shadow of the Great Depression creeps ever closer. Inside a smoky cabaret bar, a troupe of performers take the stage for their final performance: the rise and fall of the legendary Gatsby.
As the story unfolds, we watch as the performers, who, in becoming entangled in Gatsby’s pathological pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, learn the ultimate cost of unattainable dreams.
OVO’s brand-new adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless narrative brings the glamour, decadence, and tragedy of the Jazz Age to the Roman Theatre. Featuring a live Jazz pianist underscoring this ensemble-led production, be prepared to be immersed in the hedonistic roaring 20’s world of excess, fantasy, and “the great American dream”.
Ahead of the run, we sat down with associate director Kelly Ann Stewart to learn more.
What can you tell me about this production of The Great Gatsby?
This is a vibrant, visceral, and very ambitious retelling of The Great Gatsby created specifically for the Roman Theatre stage, so I hope it’s unlike any other version you’ve seen before. We’ve taken F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel—full of longing, illusion, and fractured dreams—and reimagined it through the lens of 1929: a moment suspended between the decadence of the Roaring Twenties and the impending crash that would bring it all tumbling down.
This is a vibrant, visceral, and very ambitious retelling of The Great Gatsby created specifically for the Roman Theatre stage, so I hope it’s unlike any other version you’ve seen before. We’ve taken F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel—full of longing, illusion, and fractured dreams—and reimagined it through the lens of 1929: a moment suspended between the decadence of the Roaring Twenties and the impending crash that would bring it all tumbling down.
Our version is set inside a Speakeasy-style cabaret bar, affectionately named “The Green Light Club”, performed by a troupe of six actor-musicians who take on multiple roles and bring the story to life through live jazz, movement, and 39-steps-esque storytelling. The idea is to invite the audience into a world that is seductive and shimmering, but there's a crack beneath the surface—and it's widening.
Through this framing device, we’re not just telling the story of Nick, or Gatsby, or Daisy—we’re examining how people tell stories about themselves, especially at times of societal instability. It’s immersive, it’s theatrical, it’s tragic and it’s full of heart.
When did you first encounter The Great Gatsby?
I first read it in school when studying my A-Levels, and it lodged in my brain in a way few stories do. There’s something haunting about it— I think it’s because the prose is so poetic, almost more like verse. Fitzgerald really captures that sense of reaching for something you’ll never quite grasp, of something unfulfilled - while maintaining the sense that there is still something so special and important in just the attempt to fulfil it, in the bravery of reaching out in the first place. I returned to it quite a few times in adulthood and was struck again by the world Fitzgerald creates: a world so intoxicating, and yet so hollow. It’s a deceptively simple book with extraordinary depth—and adapting it for the stage felt like uncovering hidden layers within the text. My nerdy English Literature side has really appreciated getting the opportunity to do so!
I first read it in school when studying my A-Levels, and it lodged in my brain in a way few stories do. There’s something haunting about it— I think it’s because the prose is so poetic, almost more like verse. Fitzgerald really captures that sense of reaching for something you’ll never quite grasp, of something unfulfilled - while maintaining the sense that there is still something so special and important in just the attempt to fulfil it, in the bravery of reaching out in the first place. I returned to it quite a few times in adulthood and was struck again by the world Fitzgerald creates: a world so intoxicating, and yet so hollow. It’s a deceptively simple book with extraordinary depth—and adapting it for the stage felt like uncovering hidden layers within the text. My nerdy English Literature side has really appreciated getting the opportunity to do so!
How did you approach bringing your vision to this story?
We knew from the beginning we wanted to avoid a literal, period-piece interpretation. Instead, we leaned into the theatricality of the text and reframed it through a kind of "meta" cabaret structure. We imagined this as a performance about Gatsby—created by a troupe of 1929 performers who are themselves navigating the uncertainty of the time. Often in times of uncertainty, we turn to the “mythic” stories of the past to try to make sense of them, and we wanted to echo the mythic feel of the novel in that sense. This framing gave us license to break the fourth wall, use music to heighten the emotion, and explore the idea that we’re all performing versions of ourselves. It’s theatrical, yes, but rooted in truth.
How do you approach bringing something different to a piece and story that has been told so many times?
The familiarity is actually part of the opportunity. Audiences know Gatsby—or they think they do. That opens the door to subversion, reinterpretation, and surprise. One of our biggest decisions was to root this version firmly in the social, political, and spiritual landscape of 1929. We didn’t want a glossy homage to the Jazz Age—we wanted to bring that world to life from the inside out: its contradictions, its energy, its collapse.
The familiarity is actually part of the opportunity. Audiences know Gatsby—or they think they do. That opens the door to subversion, reinterpretation, and surprise. One of our biggest decisions was to root this version firmly in the social, political, and spiritual landscape of 1929. We didn’t want a glossy homage to the Jazz Age—we wanted to bring that world to life from the inside out: its contradictions, its energy, its collapse.
We also used the tools of live theatre to ask new questions: What does it mean to “perform” identity? Who gets to tell the story? How is memory shaped by myth? These questions are just as central to the structure of the piece as they are to Gatsby himself.
You’ve set this production in 1929. What research did you have to do in order to help with this setting?
The research was extensive, and it was honestly one of my favourite parts of the process, much of which was led by the amazing writer-extraordinaire, Mark O’Sullivan. Every line of dialogue in the play is either drawn directly from Fitzgerald’s novel or is verbatim from 1920s American source material—news reports, sermons, speeches, and first-hand accounts. One of my favourite examples is a powerful “fire and brimstone” preacher’s monologue that appears in the show—it’s completely authentic, taken word-for-word from a revivalist sermon of the time. It adds a layer of spiritual tension to the piece that sits just beneath the glitter.
The research was extensive, and it was honestly one of my favourite parts of the process, much of which was led by the amazing writer-extraordinaire, Mark O’Sullivan. Every line of dialogue in the play is either drawn directly from Fitzgerald’s novel or is verbatim from 1920s American source material—news reports, sermons, speeches, and first-hand accounts. One of my favourite examples is a powerful “fire and brimstone” preacher’s monologue that appears in the show—it’s completely authentic, taken word-for-word from a revivalist sermon of the time. It adds a layer of spiritual tension to the piece that sits just beneath the glitter.
One of our central aims was to collapse the boundary between fictional myth and historical reality. Gatsby’s world isn’t just a party or a metaphor—the “roaring twenties” existed, and it shaped the generations that followed. By grounding every moment in real language and cultural context, we’re not just adapting a story—we’re trying to resurrect a world.
How do you plan to use the venue at OVO in order to aid this production?
The Roman Theatre is an extraordinary space— its big, open-air, and surrounded by the ruins of the theatre's past. It’s as inspiring as it is challenging - I don’t think there is a more exposing space out there for both creatives and actors alike. As a result, no matter the show, the audience has to become part of the event rather than passive observers, and so the decision to make the show in this “meta” way was hugely influenced by the theatre itself. What I love about the space is its ability to contain something epic and intimate at the same time. You feel the presence of history around you, and that’s a perfect fit for a show like this.
The Roman Theatre is an extraordinary space— its big, open-air, and surrounded by the ruins of the theatre's past. It’s as inspiring as it is challenging - I don’t think there is a more exposing space out there for both creatives and actors alike. As a result, no matter the show, the audience has to become part of the event rather than passive observers, and so the decision to make the show in this “meta” way was hugely influenced by the theatre itself. What I love about the space is its ability to contain something epic and intimate at the same time. You feel the presence of history around you, and that’s a perfect fit for a show like this.
Why do you think this piece remains so relevant to audiences today?
I suppose simply put, because we’re still asking the same questions: Who am I? Who do I want to be? How do others see me?
There’s a deep and painful denial running through The Great Gatsby—a refusal to confront reality, or rather, creating a reality that we - for whatever reason - want to be true. Whether that be a personal, political, or emotional reality. For me, that feels eerily familiar in our current moment. We’re living in a time of extreme collective nostalgia for a golden age that never quite existed.
Politically, 1920s America was fractured: rising nationalism, racial inequality, economic excess—and then, collapse. The novel is so much more than a love story. It’s about disillusionment, privilege, and the cost of pursuing certain things or ideas without questioning where they came from. We’re watching a culture crumble under its own mythology—and that’s a story we still need to tell.
What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing the show?
First and foremost, I want them to leave feeling entertained. But I also hope they leave feeling moved, surprised, and perhaps a little unsettled. The Great Gatsby is so often remembered for its glamour—but at its heart, it’s a tragedy. It’s a story about people trying desperately to become what they believe they should be, and losing themselves in the process.
First and foremost, I want them to leave feeling entertained. But I also hope they leave feeling moved, surprised, and perhaps a little unsettled. The Great Gatsby is so often remembered for its glamour—but at its heart, it’s a tragedy. It’s a story about people trying desperately to become what they believe they should be, and losing themselves in the process.
More than anything, I want audiences to reflect on how we tell stories about ourselves—what we choose to remember, what we choose to forget, and what the cost of that performance might be. And hopefully, they leave humming a bit of jazz, too.
Where can audiences see the show?
The show can be seen at the Roman Theatre Open Air Festival in St Albans, Hertfordshire and runs from 8th – 24th August 2025. Tickets for The Great Gatsby and all other productions are available at www.ovo.org.uk
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