A couple of weeks back I had the absolute best night learning how to Charleston with Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker at one of Gatsby’s infamous parties! 

First run as part of last years Vaults festival it was such a hit the party continued to its current venue in Borough where it has been running for a further year. Being invited has been top of my immersive bucket list for a while and thanks to Love PopUps London that dream was finally made into a reality. 

Dressed in our best 20s finery we headed to Gatsby’s Drugstore grab a drink and are soon ushered into the glitzy world of Jay Gatsby. Bootleg liquor, flapper dress and pearls abound. Introductions are made and we’re all soon aware of the main characters in the story playing out in front of us before being split up and following different story arcs – this is my absolute FAVOURITE thing about immersive theatre. Everyone has a different experience from you and you can return again and again with completely different outcomes. It’s perfect for both those who wish to get involved in the narrative or just watch from the sidelines. 

I ended up following Daisy for the most part of my evening including one particularly intimate section where only half a dozen of us were in a bedroom together discussing our past loves. The side stories always led back to the main narrative in the ballroom so that no matter what thread you end up following the story still makes sense as well as piquing your interest as to what everyone else has been up to while you’ve been elsewhere!

The cast is incredible at ad-libbing their way through the script, taking comments from the audience and running with it. The actor playing Tom Buchanan made my blood boil in a way only the bad guy can, Daisy was simply stunning and took my breath away every time I looked at her while Jordan exuded the positive, upbeat energy that was needed to stop the show from becoming too depressing. The majority of characters in The Great Gatsby aren’t great people but Jordan and Nick stop you from despairing for humanity altogether.

I loved the show so much I have already booked to go back – it’s running until the end of September and tickets cost £40 per person which, if you ask me, is a bargain for 3 hours of immersive entertainment! Get in the swing of things and dress up – just make sure you’re wearing flat shoes, you’ll be on your feet a LOT!