Dancers. Drinks. Debauchery. That’s the invitation behind 'Gatsby At The Green Light', a new Brisbane Festival show that takes Fitzgerald’s famous novel and spins it through a prism of cabaret, cocktails, and contemporary beats.
For Director Craig Ilott and Designer Stuart Couzens, the project began with a call from the Sydney Opera House. “I’d love to say it was our idea,” Craig admits, “but actually it wasn’t. They asked if we could do something with Gatsby after we’d collaborated on a show that had cabaret, variety, and food-and-drink elements. At first we were nervous – how would such a famous story fit into cabaret? But once we realised it could be about the essence of the love story, that gave us a way in.”
That essence, he says, is Gatsby’s relentless hope. “The spirit of Gatsby lives on in the endless search for his Daisy. Ultimately, it’s about love. Yes, there’s satire, money, greed, excess, but underneath it all there’s this hope that if he throws these parties, she’ll come back to him.”
And those parties are staged inside Brisbane’s Twelfth Night Theatre, transformed into Gatsby’s own nightclub. “We didn’t want people walking into a traditional theatre,” Stuart explains. “We wanted them to feel like they’d stepped into a club that could be the 1920s or the 2020s. You’ve got the same food, the same cocktails, the same atmosphere. You’re not just watching a show – you’re at a night out.”
Image © Daniel Boud
That’s not just a design flourish. Audience members sit at cabaret tables, order world-class cocktails designed by mixologist Matt Whiley, and eat food delivered by waitstaff who are also part of the performance. “We’re always trying to smash really good food and beverage experiences into our projects,” Stuart says. “It had to feel like a real bar. People are having a drink, sharing a plate, ordering another round halfway through. That’s the escape.”
The performances themselves mirror the variety of a Gatsby party. “We knew it had to be cabaret variety,” Craig says. “That form fits perfectly inside Gatsby’s club. So of course there are aerialists, singers, burlesque, jugglers – it all makes sense in that world. Gatsby’s putting on a party, and he wants people entertained.”
The music, directed by Kim Moyes of The Presets, pulls it into the present day. “It had to feel contemporary,” Stuart explains. “The 1920s and 2020s actually aren’t that different – people wanted to party back then, people want to party now. The soundtrack’s electronic, high-energy, designed to lift the whole room.”
That sense of immersion is so convincing it often blurs the line between theatre and reality.
Image © Daniel Boud
“At the Opera House, some people honestly thought they’d wandered into an actual club,” Craig says with a laugh. “That’s the trick – we transport you. The moment you step into Twelfth Night Theatre, you’re inside Gatsby’s world. He’s not just a host, he’s a man who adores his performers, and beneath it all you catch the ache of his longing for Daisy.”
Audiences play a role too. “People really dress up,” Stuart says. “They become part of the set. Suddenly they’re not just spectators – they’re patrons at Gatsby’s club.”
With 'The Great Gatsby' turning 100 this year, both creators see why its themes still hit hard. “It’s one of the great love stories of our time,” Craig begins. “Everyone knows what it is to love, to lose love, or to hope for it. That’s timeless.” Stuart adds, “And back then, the gap between the haves and the have-nots was massive. It is now, too. But everyone still wants to party.”
Ask them to sum it up in three words, and Craig doesn’t hesitate: “Escape. Entertainment. Love.”
And that’s the promise of 'The Green Light': among the whisperings, the champagne, and the stars, a party that feels both timeless and brand-new.
'Gatsby At The Green Light' is on at Twelfth Night Theatre 2-28 September as part of Brisbane Festival.
