Champagne. Scandal. Spectacular excess. The Jazz Age is coming to Melbourne in a lavish theatrical event set to make summer 2027 unforgettable.
As Melbourne comes alive for its world-famous summer of sport, culture and celebration, another extraordinary event is preparing to take centre stage with the news that the iconic Her Majesty’s Theatre will be transformed into the intoxicating world of the Roaring Twenties as The Great Gatsby arrives for an exclusive Melbourne season from Friday 22 January 2027.
Presented by Shake & Stir Theatre Co, following its acclaimed Queensland premiere in collaboration with Queensland Theatre Company, this audacious reimagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary masterpiece promises a night of breathtaking theatrical spectacle, extravagant glamour and devastating romance, directed by acclaimed theatre maker Nick Skubij (Frankenstein, Macbeth, The Lovers).
With cinematic staging, sumptuous design and a dazzling sense of scale, The Great Gatsby transports audiences to the height of the Jazz Age, where fortunes are flaunted, champagne flows freely and the pursuit of pleasure knows no bounds.
And in a city that knows how to put on a show, this is one invitation Melbourne won’t want to miss.
Set against the glittering backdrop of New York in 1922, The Great Gatsby follows the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby, whose legendary parties attract the city’s most fashionable, wealthy and notorious.
Every weekend, his extraordinary Long Island estate becomes the epicentre of a world fuelled by ambition, excess and desire. But behind the champagne towers, extravagant celebrations and whispered rumours lies a man consumed by a singular obsession: reclaiming the love of Daisy Buchanan.
As newcomer Nick Carraway is drawn deeper into Gatsby’s seductive world, the glittering facade begins to fracture, revealing a dangerous collision of privilege, passion and impossible dreams.
What follows is a spectacular unravelling of the American Dream, where love comes at a price, wealth is no guarantee of happiness and the most dazzling parties conceal the darkest secrets.
For Shake & Stir, the Melbourne engagement marks another major chapter in the company’s 20-year history of reinventing literary classics for contemporary audiences, following acclaimed productions including Frankenstein, 1984 and GRIMM.
Shake & Stir Co-Artistic Director and Creative Producer Ross Balbuziente says Melbourne’s celebrated summer atmosphere makes it the perfect setting for a production built around the intoxicating pursuit of the extraordinary.
“There’s something incredibly exciting about bringing The Great Gatsby to Melbourne at the height of summer. The city is already buzzing with energy, people are dressing up, going out and celebrating, and we want to give them a theatrical experience that matches that atmosphere.
This is Gatsby on a grand scale. We’ve created a world of extraordinary wealth, beauty and excess, but beneath all that glamour is a deeply human story about love, longing and the lengths we’ll go to in pursuit of a dream.
We want audiences to feel as though they’ve stepped inside the most extraordinary party they’ve ever attended. It’s seductive, it’s spectacular and, like all the best parties, it has a dangerous edge. Her Majesty’s Theatre is the perfect home for this production, and we can’t wait to invite Melbourne into Gatsby’s world.”
Adapted for the stage by Nelle Lee and Daniel Evans, The Great Gatsby combines Fitzgerald’s timeless exploration of ambition, class and desire with a strikingly contemporary theatrical vision.
More than a century after the novel’s publication, its themes of wealth, status, reinvention and the relentless pursuit of happiness remain as provocative and relevant as ever.
But this is no ordinary period drama. Expect a world of breathtaking beauty and intoxicating excess, where the glamour of the 1920s collides with the energy and spectacle of contemporary theatre.
For Melbourne audiences, the production offers the ultimate summer occasion: an invitation to dress up, indulge and escape into a world where nothing is ever quite as it seems. Casting announcements will be made in the coming weeks.
A breathtaking city. An iconic theatre. One extraordinary summer. The party of the century. Dress for the occasion. Make a night of it. You’re on the guest list.
The Great Gatsby plays at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, from Friday 22 January 2027 for a strictly limited season.
Tickets on sale from 10am Friday 6 November via Ticketek.
Website: https://hmt.com.au/the-great-gatsby/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/shakeandstir/
Photo credits: Joel Devereux
Presented by Shake & Stir Theatre Co in association with Evolution Productions and PowerArts. Originally produced by Shake & Stir Theatre Co and Queensland Theatre Company.
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