Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96Of course, behind the whisperings and the champagne and the stars of ‘The Great Gatsby’ lies a ‘haunting loneliness’. Seasoned Henry’s performer William Gregory led a talented cast with an endearing and moving performance as awkward narrator Nick Carraway. Nick is a young and naïve man drawn into the world of Jay Gatsby (a charming, moving performance by Jacek Parylo). Gatsby inhabits a world of wealth, decadence, crime and secrets, throwing elaborate party after elaborate party in the hope of attracting the attention of his long lost first love, Daisy (a luminous, haunting performance by Francesca Brown). The plot thickens when Nick is somehow drawn into introducing Gatsby to Daisy, which before long brings Daisy’s arrogant husband, Tom Buchanan (played commandingly by Olly Davies), into the mix. The louche, superior Jordan was played exquisitely by Emilia Cieslak, adding glamour and class to the proceedings. Finally, the tragic involvement of cuckolded car mechanic Wilson (played powerfully and emotionally by Alistair Whelan) and the passionate Myrtle (a fiery performance by Louisa Woolley) drew the sparkling parties into a darker place. I felt privileged to work with students capable of tackling such challenging material. Rehearsals ranged from ‘preparation parties’, complete with music and lessons in 1920s posture, to small, characterisation workshops focusing on the hope, heartbreak and journey of knowledge that the central characters must face. Perhaps one of the most challenging rehearsals was Jacek and Francesca’s attempt to rehearse an epic balcony sequence in which Daisy visits Gatsby’s house for the first time, with both parties running up and down the balcony. This scene was finally performed complete with acapella singers, dancers and cascading shirts. However, the first rehearsal took place in the Drama Studio five minutes before a sports match without the eventual singers, dancers, shirts or, indeed, any balcony. Trilbies off to both of them for that effort! Staging ‘The Great Gatsby’ has always been a personal ambition of mine, being a huge fan of the novel. An enormous team effort ensued to do justice to both the decadence and the hidden poverty of the Roaring Twenties. Mr Owen commenced painting sparkling peacocks and a lustrous balcony; a group of angelic singers met weekly to develop a haunting set of acapella harmonies; the Tech team adeptly designed and managed a stunning lighting and sound set up; the Jazz Combo prepared toe-tapping opening and interval music and our elegant dancers prepared a range of dazzling Charleston and ballroom moves with the help of Mrs Whiteman. It was lovely to welcome ballroom dancer Sam Cloke to the Sixth Form, dancing beautifully with both Bethany Gardiner and Immie Wayne. On top of all of this, I kindly requested that Dr Phillips provide a 1920s car and my wish was granted! The audience were all invited to the party; therefore, those quick enough to get floor-level seats were treated to cabaret-style seating, with waiters providing ‘champagne’ and afternoon tea, all at Gatsby’s expense, of course… The show was a joy to direct and I hope that those of you who were able to make it enjoyed the party as much as we did! Miss Spring ‘The greaT gaTsby’ 16 | The CovenTrian