THE GREAT GATSBY - WEST END REVIEW | ROBBIE'S BACKSTAGE BANTS

Last weekend (17/5/25), I was lucky enough to attend the evening performance of the brand-new The Great Gatsby musical, playing at the London Coliseum. This production has transferred from Broadway, where it continues to play at the Broadway Theatre.

In this review, I plan to detail my thoughts and feelings towards this musical, the cast, and other aspects of the performance.

The Great Gatsby – The Musical premiered in 2023 at the Paper Mill Playhouse, with a book by Kait Kerrigan and music and lyrics by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen. It is based on the classic 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The musical transferred to the West End in April 2025 and is running until 6th September in a limited run at the London Coliseum.

It tells the story of Nick Carraway, who, after returning from the war, meets a man named Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is infatuated with Nick’s cousin Daisy, with whom he had a fling five years prior to the events of the story. With twists, turns, and tragedy just around the corner… this glitzy, roaring ‘20s musical has something for everyone.

Something really special about this show is its design. The first sight before the show is a video design of Gatsby’s view across the bay, with the iconic green light. Scenic and projection design is by Paul Tate dePoo III. It is truly second to none, transporting the audience into these extravagant Roaring ‘20s parties and other locations like Nick Carraway’s house and the Valley of Ashes. The luscious design of the set allows for some brilliant effects that create a true spectacle and definitely tick that box for me.

Alongside its amazing set design is Linda Cho’s costume work. Cho has designed some of the most incredible costumes for this musical, each one dedicated to showing the period of the piece and being as eye-catching as possible. Every single ball gown and suit was glimmering and charming. The lighting design by Cory Pattak creates visually pleasing states that set the tone and feel well, alongside some exciting sound designs by Brian Ronan!

Music and lyrics for the production are by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen. I believe that most of the songs in this musical are really good. There are a great deal of catchy numbers, some of which resonate with the 1920s jazz style during little pockets of the song. Numbers such as Roaring On, New Money and Past is Catching Up to Me in particular were crowd pleasers, evoking huge applause. I believe that Daisy’s big number Beautiful Little Fool, which comes as a power ballad, 11 o’clock-style song towards the end of Act 2 — albeit a lovely song — plays with the timeline slightly, as the line she is referring to in this song comes much earlier in the book and film. It gives the idea that Daisy hasn’t taken much of a journey through the show.

The book by Kait Kerrigan is light and fun. The story feels simple to follow and adds in a relationship between Nick and Jordan, which much of the audience seemed to enjoy. Some lines, however, really didn’t make sense to me and seemed slotted in at the wrong moment within the story. In terms of adaptation, I will say this is not the most accurate in terms of the book. Whilst the story remains almost untouched, the depth and darkness of the original F. Scott Fitzgerald is somewhat absent. That being said, I feel that the musical takes more inspiration from the 2013 Baz Luhrmann movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

Although this adaptation may upset die-hard fans of the original novel, I found that this was not enough to put me off the production, and I enjoyed the story for the most part!

The Great Gatsby in the West End has an impeccably strong cast.

In the titular role of Jay Gatsby: Jamie Muscato. Muscato is easily one of the West End’s current greatest talents. He brings a wonderful, suave charm to his role, with the most silky-smooth vocals I have heard in some time! His performance of his Act One ballad For Her was emotional and moving, whilst his Past is Catching Up to Me was endearing and exciting! Jamie Muscato as Gatsby is worth the ticket price alone!

Frances Mayli McCann as Daisy gets her chance to showcase her gorgeous vocal talent, and she has some fantastic moments of onstage chemistry with Muscato. I think the character of Daisy suits McCann, and she plays it well throughout the piece.

Corbin Bleu is showstopping as Nick Carraway. This role is huge — he narrates the story and sings many of the numbers. After watching Bleu in the recording of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, I knew that he would be magnificent in The Great Gatsby. His acting was fascinating to watch, as he was always reacting and creating nuances — he gave a true masterclass in acting. There should be no doubts about Bleu’s vocal talent, as his unique and powerful voice glides through the score with lots of character too! I am thrilled to have witnessed this performance!

In the role of Daisy’s friend Jordan is Amber Davies. Many people dismiss Davies as a ‘Love Island’ star, assuming that she only had the role due to being a TV personality. I would like to overrule these assumptions. Having seen Davies in both Pretty Woman and The Great Gatsby, this is simply not the case. Aside from the fact that Amber Davies trained in Musical Theatre long before she set foot on the island, she has a delightful singing voice, singing fan favourite New Money and portraying a strong and interesting character throughout the whole performance.

Rachel Tucker in the role of Myrtle is a great casting choice. She has powerhouse vocals and character in her two numbers Second Hand Suit and One-Way Road.

I really enjoyed Joel Montague’s performance as George Wilson. It was moving and deep. It was magnificent to see into his character’s inner turmoil and witness his emotional shifts as the story moves along. Montague’s acting through song is a pleasure to watch too — it is a shame he does not get more stage time.

John Owen Jones plays Meyer Wolfsheim with a mysterious and charming feel. He opens Act 2 with the number Shady. His vocals, as expected, were impeccable.

It is strange to see Jon Robyns in a role with such little time to sing, but his portrayal of Tom Buchanan is believable, giving a narcissistic edge without overplaying the dark side, leaving us with his endearing energy too!

In my opinion, the ensemble for this show gave it everything. Every single small moment was without fault. Executing Dominique Kelley’s choreography with lots of energy, they never missed a beat. You can see, from the audience, that each member of the cast has developed their own character to play in the ensemble, and this gives the show a whole new depth and makes it that little bit more interesting. Special mention to Aimee Fisher, who plays 'Gilda Grey' in the number 'La Dee Dah with You' showing off her fabulous vocal talent, whilst the ensemble do some of the best tap dancing i've seen in a musical thus far!

Directed by Marc Bruni, the show has a forward pace. Not one moment felt laboured or slow, and I did not check my watch at all or feel that a scene was too long. This is something I really value in a piece — having seen another show earlier that day, sometimes you can become tired and flippant about watching every part of the show, but for The Great Gatsby, my eyes were locked on the action.

There was a unique buzz around the London Coliseum for this new musical. People dressed in sparkly flapper dresses, queues for merchandise, and excited chatter filled the auditorium — later replaced by the whoops and cheers of a satisfied audience, who clearly enjoyed the spectacle and the story of The Great Gatsby as much as I did.

Overall, this is a must-see for any fan of a big Broadway musical. The talent on the stage is outstanding, with each and every cast member giving their all. Although I can imagine some disappointment if you are a huge fan of the original narrative and story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I think if you go in with the mindset that this is not exactly what the book was, and instead open your mind to a new musical, you will have a great time.

I would have happily given this production a five-star review, if it weren’t for the adaptation and book problems it has — with lines in the wrong place, and its inability to play the dark and deep side of the novel.

I really enjoyed the lavish design of this production, along with the catchy songs and brilliant cast. I would really recommend this!

If you have been to see the production, let me know what you thought!

21st May 2025

Robbie Davies | Robbie's Backstage Bants