The Great Gatsby, the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has long been lauded as one of the world's greatest works of literature.

The story of the mysterious Jay Gatsby and his frantic love toward Daisy Buchanan has left its impression of millions of readers and through different film versions of the story that have been shot from the 1920s until very recently.

In 2013, when Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan once again revived the legend on screen, Britain's Northern Ballet were also producing a ballet theater version of the story, which later received critical acclaim.

"Since becoming a choreographer, I had often wanted to revisit this book," said David Nixon OBE, artistic director of Northern Ballet, who became captivated by the novel back to the 1970s when he was at high school.

"The Twenties are a captivating time in recent history and fill our imaginations with elaborate parties till the wee hours of the morning, beautiful women in tin-beaded dresses and head bands, laughing as they whirl around to jazz music in the arms of handsome men in black ties and tails," said Nixon. "I was thrilled that in 2013, with the help and imagination of Patricia Doyle, my desire to create a version of this great American novel was finally realized."

A scene from Northern Ballet's The Great Gatsby Photo: Courtesy of Milky Way Productions China Limited

Inspiring team

Patricia Doyle shared co-direction of the show with Nixon. The two's previous works include Hamlet, Cinderella and A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was nominated for an Olivier Award.

The music score comes from late composer and great jazz musician Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, who had composed for 50 films and two ballets in his life.

John Pryce-Jones, music director of the show, said that it was an inspired and obvious choice to choose Bennett, whose style encompasses jazz elements and classical compositions.

"This breadth of style enabled David to choose pieces that create the setting for the widely contrasting moods of the story, from the exhilarating parties to desolate sadness at the end," added the music director.

The stage setting and props are minimal, stage manager Lily Amy told Performance Reviewed in an interview. But the team spared no effort in making props that fit the era depicted. For instance, the business cards of the car salesman in the show bear the address of an actual garage in New York in the 1920s, while for the newspapers, they sourced original articles from the era.

Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker, two of the leads in The Great Gatsby, on stage Photo: Courtesy of Bill Cooper

Creative challenge

Northern Ballet has been a master of combining the art of ballet with great storytelling. The Great Gatsby sees the company turn the original story into a two-act show, with dancers deftly moving from one scene to the other.

"The challenge with any great work of literature is how to bring it to life through another medium while trying to give heed to and express the magnificence of the language. This production does not intend to translate the book word for word, but to capture the heart of the emotions, turmoils, loves and indiscretions of the people whose stories it tells," said Nixon.

There are also two dancers that show Gatsby and Daisy as their younger selves, offering the audience both story background and a dreamlike experience.

The Guardian said that "Nixon's choreography really flies," while the Sunday Express said "You will leave the theater with a warm glow and a smile."

The China tour for The Great Gatsby kicks off on January 30 at Shanghai Grand Theatre, and then moves to Beijing between February 3 and 5 at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Three duos take on the lead roles of Gatsby and Daisy. These are Tobias Batley and Martha Leebolt; Giuliano Contadini and Antoinette Brooks-Daw; and Javier Torres and Dreda Blow.

Date: January 30 and 31, 7:15 pm

Venue: Shanghai Grand Theatre

上海大剧院

Address: 300 People's Avenue

人民大道300号

Tickets: 180 yuan ($27.36) to 880 yuan

Call 135-0137-1395 for group booking