Lavish Great Gatsby Musical Bets Big on the West End in Novel’s Centennial Year
London, 27 April 2025 — One hundred years after F. Scott Fitzgerald first introduced readers to Long Island’s most enigmatic party-giver, an all-new stage spectacle of The Great Gatsby has roared into the 2,359-seat London Coliseum, staking its claim as the West End’s flashiest summer ticket. The jazz-era juggernaut arrives directly from a Broadway run and will play through 7 September.
A Broadway-Sized Creative Team, Minus the Marquee Names
Producer Chunsoo Shin has enlisted director Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), choreographer Dominique Kelley and book writer Kait Kerrigan. The original jazz- and pop-inflected score comes from Tony nominees Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen. While there are no A-list celebrities above the title, the principals include Jamie Muscato (Jay Gatsby), Frances Mayli McCann (Daisy Buchanan), Broadway favourite Corbin Bleu (Nick Carraway) and West End stalwarts Jon Robyns and John Owen-Jones.
Art-Deco Excess Becomes the Star of the Show
Designer Paul Tate dePoo III supplies sliding pillars, mirrored staircases and motorised Rolls-Royces, while Linda Cho’s costumes bathe the stage in cream, gold and flapper-era fringe. Tower-high LED screens drench the action in digital rain and Long Island sunsets, blurring the boundary between theatre and cinema. Critics note that the visual palette is dazzling—though occasionally overwhelming for the human drama at its centre.
Critical First Impressions: Spectacle Over Subtlety
Early reviews are mixed-to-positive. Some praise the opulent look but find the first act overly expository; others laud the second-act momentum and Muscato’s nuanced Gatsby, settling on three-star verdicts that celebrate entertainment value while mourning Fitzgerald’s lost understatement.
Why the Gamble Matters
Mounting a brand-new musical—without a pre-sold celebrity—inside one of London’s largest theatres during the lucrative tourist season is a high-stakes proposition. Yet the centenary tie-in, global name recognition and Broadway pedigree could turn this high-rolling production into a recession-resistant hit. Producers report advance sales already exceeding £6 million.
Ticket & Performance Information
The Great Gatsby plays Monday–Saturday evenings (7 pm) with 2 pm matinees on Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets start at £25 and are on sale at londongatsby.com and the London Coliseum box office.
Bottom Line
Like its title character, the musical dazzles with grand gestures and unapologetic excess. Whether that sheen translates into long-term box-office glory remains to be seen—but for now, the biggest party in town is throwing open the green-and-gold doors on St Martin’s Lane, and everyone’s invited, old sport.
