Nick Carraway, a young man from Minnesota, moves to New York in the summer of
1922, and gradually becomes friends with a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby, who
lives in a gigantic Gothic mansion and throws extravagant parties. Nick is drawn into a
world of new money, decadence and deception. He discovers that Gatsby is in love
with Daisy Buchanan, a rich cousin who is already married but who, when re-united
with Gatsby, decides to leave her husband. Tragedy inevitably follows. A car crashes, a
secret lover of Daisy’s husband is killed and Gatsby is eventually murdered because he
is assumed to have driven the car. Nick observes all the characters as they play out
their own tragedy, driven by cynicism and selfishness. Yet he admires Gatsby right to
the end, because Gatsby’s motives are driven by love and hope, rather than greed.
Published in 1925, four years before the catastrophic collapse of the American stock
markets, Fitzgerald’s novel graphically portrays a society being destroyed by money
and dishonesty, an American Dream of happiness and individualism degenerating into
the mere pursuit of wealth.
The obvious contemporary relevance is made clear in this exciting new stage
adaptation by Leo Benedict. Filled with live and evocative jazz music from the twenties,
this production recreates the glitz and decadence of the period. The tense and
absorbing drama is played out to its dramatic climax by a cast of five actors fast-paced,
visually evocative and highly theatrical.
ADGE has been touring exciting and original stage productions throughout the world
for 40 years. The company has gained a reputation for engaging and enthralling
audiences young and old and we are delighted to have the opportunity of presenting
this American classic.