Review: The Great Gatsby at London Coliseum

⭐⭐⭐ (Three Stars)

With The Great Gatsby having entered the public domain in 2021, it was inevitable that it would be adapted for the stage before long, with two different productions famously vying for a spot on Broadway in 2024. The victor in New York has now crossed the Atlantic to the London Coliseum and the result is a visually opulent, vocally impressive production that ultimately struggles to breathe new life into its source material, leaving it feeling somewhat emotionally hollow.

The musical, with a score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, brings together some of the most impressive vocalists currently working in musical theatre and the cast truly do sound fantastic, even when the material they’re working with doesn’t quite rise to the occasion. “Roaring On” is a genuinely catchy opening number and “New Money” has already found a second life on TikTok but, some of the show’s many ballads fall flat, blending into one another without leaving much of a mark.

The lyrics, while serviceable, rarely rise above the obvious. Basic rhymes and uninspired turns of phrase weigh down the storytelling, and Kait Kerrigan’s book doesn’t offer much support. Attempts at humour often don’t land and transitions between dialogue and song often feel awkward, disrupting the flow of the narrative rather than enhancing it.

Yet visually, this production is stunning. Paul Tate de Poo III’s set design is lavish and impressive, with large automated set pieces as well as projections. Linda Cho’s costume design beautifully evokes 1920s elegance, and Dominique Kelley’s choreography, while often anachronistic to the era, adds vitality and spectacle to the party scenes. Cory Pattak’s lighting leans heavily on the green light motif as well as the mist over the water that separates Daisy and Gatsby’s homes. 

At its core, though, the production lacks emotional resonance. For all the Gatsby-esque grand gestures, there’s an absence of charm and heart. Many of the characters feel underdeveloped and unlikeable, and the central romance never quite earns the audience’s investment. That may be a structural flaw, with Fitzgerald’s original novel being a story of longing and disillusionment that is more suited to introspection than musical numbers. Just because a beloved novel can be turned into a musical doesn’t always mean it should.

Corbin Bleu, as Nick Carraway, anchors the show with warmth and sincerity. His is one of the few characters you actually root for, and his performance brings a much-needed emotional grounding. Jamie Muscato’s Gatsby looks and sounds the part but is dealt a thinly written role, with his mystery quickly dispelled by an early and on-the-nose exposition dump. Similarly, Frances Mayli McCann as Daisy is note perfect but doesn’t receive the character development you would hope for. 

The Great Gatsby at the London Coliseum is a beautiful and slick spectacle, flawlessly performed by an incredibly talented cast and frequently dazzling to look at, but it doesn’t quite manage to find the soul of Fitzgerald’s timeless tale.

The Great Gatsby runs at London Coliseum until 7th September 2025.

Photos by Johan Persson