Preview of Northern Ballet - The Great Gatsby at Milton Keynes Theatre
Coming the Milton Keynes Theatre next week is a return to the stage for the hit production The Great Gatsby brought to the stage by Northern Ballet. The production reaches Milton Keynes as part of its UK spring tour for 2022 which culminates in Cardiff in June. The production based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald brings all the glamour and seduction of the roaring twenties to life and premiered in 2013 and which has now had three UK tours.
Set on New York’s Long Island, in the heady, indulgent days of the 1920s, Nick Carraway comes to know his infamous neighbour Jay Gatsby – a mysterious millionaire with a secret past and a penchant for lavish parties. As the sparkling façade of Gatsby’s world slips, Carraway comes to see the loneliness, obsession, and tragedy that lie beneath.
The Great Gatsby was nominated for a UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance. David Nixon OBE choreographed The Great Gatsby and earned a nomination for Best Classical Choreography in the 2014 National Dance Awards. Performed to the unforgettable music of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett CBE, which is played live by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia, The Great Gatsby also features a lavish set designed by Jérôme Kaplan, complemented by the dazzling colourful costumes designed by Nixon.
David Nixon said: “I’m delighted to be bringing The Great Gatsby, one of the Company’s most beloved productions back to the stage this Spring. Like many, I fell in love with Fitzgerald’s timeless novel at a young age and it continues to capture my imagination to this day. As a choreographer, I had always wanted to depict Gatsby’s tale of passion and obsession through ballet and in 2013, with the help of Patricia Doyle, it was a thrill to bring The Great Gatsby to life. The glamour of the 1920s lends itself beautifully to the stage with stunning costumes and Jérôme Kaplan’s expertly designed set that conjures an America as painted by Edward Hopper. Music by the late Sir Rodney Richard Bennett CBE completes the backdrop and transports the audience to an elusive time of lavish parties and prohibition. So much has changed since the ballet was last performed in 2019 including the addition of many new young dancers to the Company so I am looking forward to seeing them flourish with this repertoire.”
The Great Gatsby performs at Milton Keynes from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 May.
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