Critics Slam The Great Gatsby Musical for Lack of Depth, Respect

The new musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby at London's Coliseum dazzles with lavish scenic and projection design, extravagant costumes, and energetic party sequences that capture the glamour of the 1920s. However, critics widely agree that the show sacrifices the novel's subtlety, lyricism, and ambiguous themes in favor of spectacle and Broadway clichés, flattening F. Scott Fitzgerald's nuanced critique of the American Dream into a more superficial romance and party narrative. The production emphasizes visual spectacle with inventive staging and set transitions, but at times the vast stage feels underused, with the cast occasionally overwhelmed by their surroundings. Key relationships and characters, such as Gatsby, Daisy, Nick, and Jordan, are simplified or reimagined as more conventional and less complex than their literary counterparts. While individual performances, particularly by Jamie Muscato as Gatsby, receive praise for vocal prowess, the adaptation is criticized for its lack of emotional depth and fidelity to the spirit of Fitzgerald’s masterpiece. Ultimately, the musical is seen as entertaining but misses the deeper tragedy and commentary of the source material.