As we prepare to deliver our performance of ‘The Great Gatsby’ next week, we caught up with our Principal Teacher of Drama, Jane Williams, to hear how rehearsals are going and give an insight into what the audience can expect…

Can you summarise what The Great Gatsby ‘deconstructed’ is all about? 

I think the first thing that comes to mind when people think about The Great Gatsby is the art deco glamour of the 1920s.  Gatsby is known for his huge, theatrical parties and the excess synonymous with the Jazz Age.  Anyone who has seen Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film version will know what a treat it is to see that world brought vividly to life.  However, in our production, we focus less on a naturalistic depiction of the parties (although I can promise a food fight and partygoers in Gatsby’s fountain!) and instead have chosen to use stylised movement, sound and projection to convey the spiritual emptiness that lies beneath the glitz and glamour.  These are essentially unhappy – and as F. Scott Fitzgerald states in the original novel – careless people using wealth and each other to survive within a world which is not designed for meaningful human interaction.   The themes we have chosen to focus on, particularly the cost to the individual of being caught up in all of this, are so universal that we did not want this to just be a piece about 1920s New York.

How are rehearsals coming along?

It’s a collaborative process, with everyone pitching in ideas which is fantastic.  Our Movement Director for the production is Christine Devaney from Curious Seed, a dance company based in Glasgow.  From our early work with Christine, the cast and I have had a shared movement vocabulary which we have drawn on throughout the rehearsal process.  The cast have shown great commitment and attention to detail, taking on a vast array of characters.  During these final weeks we are fine tuning the actors’ voice and movement choices to really bring those characters to life and create the shifting moods of the piece, particularly as it reaches its dramatic conclusion.

What are you most excited about with the production?

It’s always amazing to see the actors finally perform to an audience after months of careful and challenging work.  I am also really looking forward to seeing how the various design elements come together to complete the experience for the audience.

What’s been the biggest challenge you/the cast have faced to date? 

Not all of the characters in the play are likeable and their behaviour can be uncomfortable to portray.  We wanted to be true to the story but in a way that felt safe and appropriate for the young people in the cast.  We decided to focus on the cast members as storytellers, stepping in and out of character as required, but sometimes just observing the action.  This has helped to give a sense that we are all evaluating and critiquing the behaviour we see as opposed to accepting it at face value.

If you could sum up the performance in three words, what three words would you use? 

Surprising.  Ambitious.  Relevant.

The Great Gatsby performance will take place on 27 and 28 February and tickets are on sale now: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/78705