Jay Gatsby invites you into the decadent world of The Green Light, nestled inside The Studio theatre of the Sydney Opera House, where the roaring '20s is reborn for an evening of decadence, debauchery and delight. Gatsby at the Green Light is back by popular demand and, with an extended run until March 2026, there’s clearly a demand for cabaret with a touch of elegance and plenty of grandeur.
What type of show is Gatsby at the Green Light?
Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic text, The Great Gatsby, director Craig Ilott once more takes audiences into an exploration of the liquor-fuelled parties, yearning and lust of the illusive figure, Jay Gatsby, in an evening of professional cabaret.
Ilott doesn’t so much play out the story of The Great Gatsby, but instead takes the crux of it – one of greed, love, decadence and the unreachable American Dream – to showcase some of the best talents in cabaret, aerial acrobatics, tap and circus. Set inside the fictionalised bar, The Green Light, designer Stuart Couzens creates a world that feels like you’ve stepped back into a speakeasy bar of Fitzgerald’s America.
The three-tiered seating elements of Green Light mean that audiences have the choice of sitting back in the rafters and overseeing the party (much like the host himself) or the middle of the space set far enough back to see all but not be so close as to feel the intimacy of the stage.
Those who want to hear the heartbeat of the waiter-come-dancers around you, feel the heat of flames twirling on stage, and taste the sweat emanating from the toned performers defying gravity, there’s the tabled seating surrounding the confines of the stage. Here, you can feel like VIP guests of Gatsby, enjoying canapés – caviar blini, spoonfuls of meringue, and hearty chicken and mushroom vol au vent – and themed cocktails with a party of like-minded guests.
Who are the cast and crew of Gatsby at the Green Light?
Waiters shuffle around during the pre-show in their fitted green attire and, before you can do a few counts of eight, they dance with exuberance and energy that creates an immersive feel for the crowd. Meanwhile, in the rounded bar, the mixologists juggle bottles of vodka, stack Champagne flutes and tap dance their way across the stage for some pre-show entertainment.
Wandering the space like the Ghost of Christmas Present, Spencer Craig’s Gatsby feels at once enigmatic and mysterious as he watches memories of his past with his eternal love, Daisy Buchanan (Caitlin Thomson-Moylan) played out on stage. Newcomers Mariia Borysiak and Jacob McPherson take on the roles of this fantasy as each pair flies through the air in trapeze formats that serve as a testament to human strength and grace.
Interspersed throughout, the ARIA Award-nominated artist Odette eats up her time on the stage with a playlist of soulful vocals, while Oscar Kaufmann shows that a hat stand is merely a prop on which to twirl and vault, and Miranda Menzies’ hair hang (complete with a fiery twist) begs the question of what hair product she uses to create those concrete roots.
Then, there’s the ‘Fred Astaire of juggling’, Florian Brooks, who appears in and out to show off a merriment of glow-in-the-dark hand-eye coordination, the charmingly electric tap-dancing of Tommy Egan and, of course, the sassy hostess herself, Bettie Bombshell, who melds seduction and grace like a lioness playing with her food.
Why is Gatsby at the Green Light a four-star production?
With a newly reduced and tight 75-minute run-time, Green Light has managed to sweep off the feeling that it’s merely a showcase of talent, rather than an immersive piece of storytelling. Now, there’s a direction in it, and a focus on that forbidden and lost love between Jay and Daisy underneath the decadence of Gatsby’s riches.
And yet, Green Light can’t quite make itself wholly unique from a cabaret similar to one at a venue like The Grand Electric or the Spiegeltent. This may sound greedy to say, but Green Light left me wanting a bit more variety from the evening – the greed of which I realise is wholly reflective of the themes in Fitzgerald’s book.
Who will like Gatsby at the Green Light?
Gatsby at the Green Light is the perfect excuse to recreate the roaring ‘20s, don your best flapper bands or feather-adorned fascinators and step into the world of Jay Gatsby. The three-tiered seating gives you the choice of where you want to sit in Fitzgerald’s world – and perhaps it's a perfect excuse to splash that extra cash for a Christmas present or that special date night you’ve long been promising.
Those new to the world of cabaret will need to find their jaws at the show’s end before they depart, whilst those who have visited The Green Light before may not find much new in their return visit. Still, the feats of physicality, dexterity and choreography on display are tight, joyous and nonetheless extraordinarily entertaining.
Gatsby at the Green Light is on at the Sydney Opera House from December 2025 to March 2026. Find out more and book tickets over here.
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