F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel The Great Gatsby comes to QPAC following debut performances at Toowoomba’s art deco Empire Theatre, but the seams are visible in this semi-modern co-adaptation.

Adapted by Daniel Evans and Nelle Lee, The Great Gatsby marks the first collaboration between Queensland’s state theatre company and Brisbane-based Shake & Stir Theatre Co, known for their classical adaptations and touring school productions. The production is co-directed by Evans, Queensland Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, and Nick Skubij, one of Shake & Stir’s three co-Artistic Directors (alongside Lee and Ross Balbuziente).

Shake & Stir Theatre Co & Queensland Theatre Company’s The Great Gatsby. Photo © Joel Devereux

Narrated by young bondsman and Great War veteran Nick Carraway, the story unfolds over one 1920s summer among Long Island’s wealthy elite. Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties are in full swing; with new freedoms and fortunes to be made, aspiration and artifice abound.

Carraway’s neighbour, the enigmatic multimillionaire Jay Gatsby, throws extravagant parties in the hope of reclaiming his former sweetheart Daisy, who lives across the water with her husband. From his lawn, Gatsby watches the blinking green light at...