Most of us know F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterful 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, and the faithful film adaptions starring Robert Redford and Leonardo DiCaprio.

However, New York theatre company Elevator Repair Service chose to stage it in a modern-day office! When a bored employee finds the novel and starts to read it aloud, he and his coworkers are soon drawn in, finding it all unfolding around them.

Adelaide Festival’s Artistic Director, Matthew Lutton, says:

This stage adaptation is hailed as one of the most remarkable and unique pieces of American theatre from the last 20 years. The company discovered that rather than attempting to “adapt” the novel, it is far more compelling to read every word aloud – as the language is so glorious – drawing everyone onstage and in the audience into The Great Gatsby’s thrilling and vivid world. At Her Majesty’s Theatre, the seats are comfortable (!) so settle in for five unforgettable hours of theatre – with breaks, of course!

Director John Collins answers some FAQs:

For those who aren’t familiar, is it necessary to read the book first? 

Definitely not! The production is almost a live-action audiobook. When we first took it on, we found quickly that any cut — even a “he said” or a “she said” — did some kind of violence to the novel’s delicately lyrical construction.

We’ve found, too, that the experience creates a bond among the audience that is unlike any other. You really get to know your seat-mates through the intermissions and dinner break.

Unfolding over eight hours, it creates an unusual relationship with the audience. What does that scale unlock that a condensed adaptation could never offer?

Sometimes the way a story is told feels absolutely essential to the narrative. We think this novel endures for many reasons, but chief among them is Fitzgerald’s brilliantly rendered prose. No condensed adaptation can give you that.

As for the audience’s experience, there’s a very clear contract from the beginning: you are there to hear the entire novel, no more no less. That is, in some ways I think, reassuring — they know they are in the author’s hands and not just enduring an experiment in durational performance.

Why do you think Gatz continues to resonate?

It’s a deeply personal story. It’s not a tale of the jazz age or a costume drama. It’s the story of people learning who they are and where they came from, through confusion and tragedy. It feels very real and true in a timeless way.

“The most remarkable achievement in theatre not only of this year but also of this decade.” - The New York Times

Gatz | Her Majesty’s Theatre |13 - 15 March

More information from the 2026 Adelaide Festival edition of WeekendPlus: