Gatsby gets the green light at Opera House

GATSBY at the Green Light, a new cabaret variety show inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic text, is set to open its doors at the Studio, Sydney Opera House this summer. A century after first being introduced to Jay Gatsby, this theatrical experience invites Sydneysiders into one of his indulgent parties for an evening of escapist fantasy.

Pulsating music will draw audiences into the club, where an ensemble cast of world-class local and international talent whirl through the venue and across a glittering bar stage. Live vocals will accompany a number of the acts including aerial, burlesque, dance and spectacular circus.

Audiences can either take their seats and watch Gatsby’s fantasy play out in front of them, or get involved with the club’s characters by reserving a cabaret table complete with a 1920s inspired canapé and cocktail package. 

Reminiscent of speakeasies in the prohibition era, The Green Light will offer a bespoke range of beverages inspired by the era, including the Green Light Gimlet, the Blind Tiger Martini, and the Reggio Manhattan.

“We’ve taken elements entrenched in the 1920s – the vaudeville, the fashion, the hospitality – and remixed them with a bold 2020s beat, with the aim of creating an evening that feels both contemporary and captivating,” says director Craig Ilott (Smoke & Mirrors, La Clique Royale, Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined, Amadeus, and L’Hôtel).

Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance Ebony Bott is thrilled to be premiering the new production.

“There is a true timelessness to The Great Gatsby, rich with ideas that lend themselves to theatricality so perfectly. GATSBY at The Green Light has been created specifically to delight our audiences who love a summer variety spectacular, capturing all the indulgence and imagination of the era,” Bott said.

December 16 – February 25, 2024, Sydney Opera House, sydneyoperahouse.com/cabaret/gatsby

Gatsby opera house
Rehearsals for GATSBY at The Green Light are now in full swing. Picture: Tom Oldham
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