Press Release: Northern Ballet to stage American classic The Great Gatsby

[Jan McNulty]

Northern Ballet to stage American classic The Great Gatsby

 

Northern Ballet’s new full length production, The Great Gatsby, is the must see ballet for 2013.

With choreography, direction and costumes by Artistic Director David Nixon OBE, co-direction by Patricia Doyle and sets by Jerôme Kaplan, The Great Gatsby promises to be a stunning retelling of one of the most compelling stories of the twentieth century.

 

The Great Gatsby will be adapted from the novel by F Scott Fitzgerald. On New York’s Long Island, in the heady, indulgent days of the 1920s, Nick Caraway comes to know his infamous neighbour Jay Gatsby – a mysterious millionaire with a secret past and a penchant for lavish parties. As the sparkling façade of Gatsby’s world begins to slip Caraway comes to see the loneliness, obsession and tragedy that lie beneath.

 

Creating new full length ballets is a mission of Northern Ballet’s and furthers the Company’s efforts to bring new audiences to dance. David Nixon is prolific in creating new work and The Great Gatsby is his fourteenth new ballet for Northern Ballet, where he has been Artistic Director since 2001. It follows on from his most recent successes, Beauty & the Beast and Cleopatra, both of which premièred in 2011.

 

The current ‘Gatsby craze’ has seen a surge of popularity in the classic American novel with Gatsby inspired fashion on the catwalks, stage productions in London and the much anticipated Hollywood movie due to be released next year.

 

David said, ‘The Great Gatsby is a real American classic from an iconic era. The roaring twenties were a time of exuberance, indulgence, resilience, fashion, dancing and jazz. The story has everything for the makings of a great ballet: a love triangle, decadence, desperation and heartbreak.

I am proud of the fact that as a Company we produce and tour more new full-length work than any other ballet company in the UK. Producing The Great Gatsby shows we tap into current trends, creating work audiences have an interest in at present.’

 

The Great Gatsbywill have its World Première on Saturday 2 March 2013 at Leeds Grand Theatre.

 

 

 

Production Credits

The Great Gatsby

Choreography, Direction, Scenario, Costume Design: David Nixon

Co Direction, Scenario: Patricia Doyle

Set Design: Jerôme Kaplan

Lighting Design: Tim Mitchell

 

Tour Listings

 

Leeds Grand Theatre

Sat 2 – Sat 9 March 2013

Box Office: 0844 848 2700

 

Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

Tue 12 – Sat 16 March 2013

Box Office: 0114 249 6000

 

Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Thu 21 – Sat 23 March 2013

Box office: 0131 529 6000

 

Hull New Theatre

Tue 2 – Sat 6 April

Box Office: 01482 300 300

 

Belfast Grand Opera House

Wed 10 – Sat 13 April

Box Office: 028 9024 1919

 

Milton Keynes Theatre

Tue 16 – Sat 20 April

Box Office: 0844 871 7652

 

Cardiff New Theatre

Tue 23 April – Sat 27 April

Box Office: 029 2087 8889

 

Norwich Theatre Royal

Tue 30 April – Sat 4 May 2013

Box Office: 01603 630 000

 

London Sadler’s Wells

Tue 14 – Sat 18 May 2013

Box office: 0844 412 4300

[aileen]

I think that The Great Gatsby is a great story on which to base a ballet. I'm looking forward to seeing it. Let's hope that it's as good as SB's Streetcar.

[Jan McNulty]

NB have announced that Great Gatsby will be performed to music by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.

 

http://northernballet.com/index.php?q=the-great-gatsby/sir-richard-rodney-bennett

[Frogsmum]

Wow, I can't wait to see this. Gatsby is one of my favourite books of all time! Seeing it as a ballet will be really special.