Immerse yourself in The Great Gatsby
It's the tragic love story as you've never seen it before. Immerse yourself in The Great Gatsby as you meander through the story alongside the actors, blurring the boundaries of conventional theatre. The AJN explores the immersive production.
If there was ever a story to imagine yourself being part of, it would be The Great Gatsby. It’s easy to see yourself as Nick, telling the story of Jay Gatsby and his obsession over Daisy Buchanan. And soon, there’ll be an opportunity for you to do just that.
According to producer Aaron Robuck, it’s a pretty special experience. The Masada College alumnus, who studied at the Australian Institute of Music, was looking for a story that had a first-person narrator, when he realised The Great Gatsby is set in the roaring twenties, specifically in 1922. One hundred years later seems to be the perfect opportunity for a revitalised production.
Robuck is no stranger to immersive experiences, having helped produce Titanic for Viral Ventures a couple of years ago. The legendary film was screened on a boat in Sydney Harbour, giving people the option to choose third, second or first-class seats and actors floating around the boat to create a “real” experience.
And now, The Great Gatsby will allow audiences to experience secret rendezvous, dramatic confrontations, bootleg gin and of course, be part of a party that only Gatsby himself could throw.
“The fact that it’s the 20s again, and we’re seeing how we can shape the rest of the century, just like they were, gives us a good opportunity to do this particular story again,” Robuck said.
It’s the nostalgia of it, as well, with many students studying The Great Gatsby as part of their schooling and many Millennials holding fond memories of World Bar in Sydney’s Kings Cross, now known as Wonderland Bar, which is where the production will be staged.
Audience members will move through rooms, guided by the story and following the action. There are 10 actors who lead everyone through the spaces and then play out the story alongside audience members.
“You are playing Nick, so they talk to you as if you’re Nick,” Robuck explained.
Robuck goes on to say that there are also intervals throughout the performance that are less scripted. The actors are around, there’s a bar and live music, a little bit like a Gatsby party atmosphere.
Robuck credits the designer, Brendan de la Hay for creating not one, not two, but 10 different sets, replicating the 1920s in a 2022 way.
“We’re acknowledging that the audience is walking through it as if they’re walking through time,” Robuck said, explaining a room that will be painted blue with clouds to create a feeling of floating in air. “You’re walking through the emotional story.”
After all, it’s Gatsby’s world… you’re just living in it.
The Great Gatsby will run February 18-June 26 at Wonderland Bar. For tickets: explorehidden.com
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