As Lent Term presses on, we’re heading back to the dazzle of the 1920s! Marking a century since the publication of one of the world’s most loved stories, The Great Gatsby is set to emerge from the wings of the ADC stage next week in the latest production by the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society.

As someone who has been obsessed with The Great Gatsby for years, my experience of watching the rehearsals was mesmerising. The script, written by Simon Levy, mirrors almost word-for-word the scenes and dialogue from the novel, giving me a surreal sense of being immersed in the book. The technical quality of the cast is largely the reason for this: there is a clear buzz of passion and excitement that translates into excellent chemistry on stage. The actors’ embodiment of their characters was fantastic, performing with impressive New York accents that are bound to transport the audience to the Jazz Age.

“I encourage them to experiment and breathe a new life into these well-known characters”

When I asked the cast and director Tally Arundell what had drawn them all to Gatsby, there was an overriding expression of love for the novel: its flawed, complex characters create rich and rewarding roles which are wonderful to play and stage. I wondered if Arundell felt any pressure when working with such a canonical story. However, she described feeling liberated from the character moulds cast in other productions of Gatsby, such as those in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film. “I never ask the cast to play a pre-made version of the role. I encourage them to experiment and breathe a new life into these well-known characters.” The actor playing Gatsby (yet to be revealed) echoed this: “I love the openness of the space in the rehearsals: we get the opportunity to try something new out, and adjust to become better each time.”

Arundell’s vision of Gatsby is thought-provoking, echoing an interest in social justice which often permeates her productions: “Social justice is part of me as a person and a director. The Great Gatsby as a novel has an interest in justice and inevitable failure, which is why, even 100 years later, it promotes social justice more than any other work.” I asked Arundell to expand on Gatsby’s relevance today, and how this is encapsulated in the show: “There has been darkness for such a long time, but right now we are in an era of hope. Similarly, the show evokes the sense that even though there are flaws in our world, there is always the extraordinary gift of hope. The Great Gatsby, more than anything, is a fun show.”

“I want them to be so drawn in by the fun and free-moving parts of the show that they don’t see how it was all a facade”

Arundell hopes to “challenge the conventions of a normal theatre space” by utilising a large portion of the ADC – aisles, walkways, and seats included. She described how the production “plays visually with illusion and reality, reflecting the disparity between society at surface level and what is bubbling under that surface”. Her thinking behind these choices is that she “want[s] the show to be as immersive as possible, bringing the kinetic energy of an era that is not ours to the stage as something fluid and restless in its energy”.

Perhaps what will immerse us most wholly in the era of flappers and prohibition will be the production’s glittering moments of live jazz music and dance. All will be revealed on opening night, but for now in terms of staging we can expect to encounter a swimming pool pit dug into the main stage, and to stare back at the eyes of Dr Eckleburg looming over the production…

I finished by asking the cast what they hope the audience will take away from the show and how they would like them to feel after watching it. Felix Warren, playing Tom Buchanan, and Mia Lomer, playing Daisy, believe that even mixed emotions are positive: “The show is so complex and emotional… we want to make the audience think.” Tally hopes that the production embodies our identity as multifaceted people, and the lack of clear cut between right and wrong. She hopes to shock the audience: “I want them to be so drawn in by the fun and free-moving parts of the show that they don’t see how it was all a facade, that I created a place of vivacity and fun to throw it all away.”

CUMTS’ The Great Gatsby will be playing at The ADC Theatre from 17th-21st February 2026.