This adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby by NZ playwright Ken Duncan brings to life the classic novel, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Set early in the Roaring Twenties, it portrays the extravagant lifestyle of old and new money New York City & Long Island, and its seedy underbelly with gangsters, bootleg liquor, and intractable social divides. The story, narrated by Nick Carraway, sees him drawn into this decadent and hedonistic world and captivated by his mysterious millionaire neighbour Jay Gatsby, until his illusions are shattered and his morals are put to the test.
| Directed by | Catherine McMechan |
| Audition Date | Saturday 9 August 11am-4pm Sunday 10 August 11am-3pm Callbacks Monday 11 August 6.30pm-8pm Toi Pōneke, 61 Abel Smith Street |
| Performance Dates | October 29th – November 8th |
| Rehearsals | Tue/Thu 7:00pm, Sun 3:00pm Dates: starting on August 24th |
Rehearsals & performances
Rehearsals will start from Sunday 24 August and will be on Tuesdays & Thursdays (7pm-9pm), and Sundays (3pm-6pm), with more added closer to opening. The show opens on Wednesday 29 October, so final dress rehearsals will be over Labour Weekend. Given this is an ensemble-based show, we ask that cast commit to being available over that weekend. Please make sure you note on your audition form any times during the rehearsal period that you are not available.
Please note: This production involves sensitive themes, physical intimacy & fighting, dancing, and a requirement for cast to sing along to jazz age party tunes.
Audition details and preparation
These are open auditions and there are a variety of roles available, including some multi-role opportunities. The indicative age range is mostly 20s-40s, with one 50+ male role, and two opportunities for singers (1M/1F) of any age who may also play other roles in the ensemble.
Auditions will be in small groups, scheduled on the hour to run for approx. 50 minutes, starting with a 5-minute group dance warmup (while it is not a requirement to be a dancer as such, most of the cast will be involved in dance numbers). Audition pieces will be provided on confirmation of your audition booking.
To book an audition, please fill out the form below by Friday 8 August – we’ll be in touch to confirm your audition date and time. If you have any questions please get in touch at auditions@wellingtonrepertory.org.nz.
Please complete the audition form below to register your interest.
Audition Details and Venue
| Audition Dates | Saturday 9 August 11am-4pm Sunday 10 August 11am-3pm Callbacks Monday 11 August 6.30pm-8pm |
| Venue | Toi Pōneke, 61 Abel Smith Street |
Character Descriptions
This adaptation of The Great Gatsby envisages a cast of a minimum of 8 actors, with most playing multiple roles, but for this production it is intended to have a cast of around 12-14, with additional ensemble cast members to play some of the wide range of smaller roles.
| Character | Description |
| Older Nick | Male, age 50+. The Great Gatsby is told entirely through the Older Nick’s eyes – as the narrator, his thoughts and perceptions shape and colour the story and this major, critical role makes this a memory play. |
| Nick Carraway | Male, late 20s. Fresh-faced and newly arrived from Minnesota to learn the bond business, Nick is a cousin of Daisy Buchanan. Observant, inclined to reserve judgment, and a man who recognises his own privilege but open-minded and hopes for a better world, Nick often serves as a confidant for those with secrets. While he is captivated by Daisy and her set, as well as by Gatsby and his hope/optimism, he ultimately sees people for who they really are and, together with Old Nick, is responsible for taking the audience on this journey. |
| Jay Gatsby/Gatz | Male, 30s. A dashing man with an intriguing combination of friendly charm and formality, who has worked to win back the woman he loves, Daisy. While he is obsessive, evasive about his past, and somewhat vulgar in his “new money” efforts to impress, his idealism and ability to turn his dreams into reality make him “great” nonetheless. Having pulled himself up from humble beginnings to become a self-made millionaire through shady business dealings that doesn’t admit, he is now the paragon of the American Dream. Importantly, he also doubles at the end of the play as the much older MR GATZ, Gatsby’s humble, helpless and dismayed father who is overwhelmed by his son’s wealth and apparent success. |
| Daisy Buchanan | Female, 20s. Classic Southern belle, Daisy is an “old money” socialite from Louisville Kentucky who had a brief intense affair with Jay Gatsby before her marriage, and years later she now lives in East Egg with her husband Tom and their baby daughter; personifies privilege and the constraints of class and “old money” convention, which she rails against in thought if not ultimately in deed. While she appears to be the embodiment of charm, grace and sophistication, her true nature is revealed to be selfish, fickle, and careless. |
| Tom Buchanan | Male, 30s-40s. Daisy’s immensely wealthy “old money”, ex-polo-playing husband “of Chicago”, who is connected to Nick through their shared history at Yale as well as by family ties through his marriage to Daisy. Physically intimidating, Tom is an arrogant, hypocritical bully who relishes in his privilege and looks down on those without it. His social attitudes are laced with racism and sexism, he represents the super-wealthy whose money insulates them from the normal constraints of law or morality. |
| Jordan Baker | Female, 20s. A competitive golfer, Jordan is one of the “new women” of the 1920s – cynical, boyish, and self-centered. Representative of the flapper set and their emancipated behaviours, Jordan is beautiful and self-assured, but incurably dishonest – she cheated in order to win her first golf tournament and constantly bends the truth. She also comes from money and is a childhood friend of Daisy’s from Lousville, Kentucky, so was aware of Daisy’s affair with Jay Gatsby. |
| George Wilson | Male, 30s. Described as “spiritless and anaemic”, Wilson is a mechanic who owns a rundown gas station on the edge of ‘The Valley of the Ashes’ and has had to work hard every day of his life just to survive. His blue collar life is all he has known and he wants that to be enough for Myrtle, but knows she is unsatisfied and slipping through his fingers. Hopeful for a business deal with Tom that may lead to his ticket to a better life out West, his insecurity makes him easy to manipulate. |
| Myrtle Wilson | Female, 20s-30s. Married to George, and mistress to Tom, Myrtle is sensual, flashy, and speaks her mind. She dreams of a better life away from her home above a gas station in the middle of nowhere and despises her husband George for his poverty. She truly believes that one day Tom will whisk her away, but ends up being collateral damage in the wealthy’s careless using-up of people. |
| Ensemble roles | A variety of other characters, including Meyer Wolfsheim (a gangster and gambler, known to have fixed the World Series, who is an investor and business partner to Gatsby); Mr McKee (a NYC photographer friend of Myrtle’s); Mrs McKee (his wife, and a NYC socialite and partier); Myrtle’s sister Catherine; Owl-Eyed Man (a regular at Gatsby’s parties), and various other ensemble roles including butlers, golf caddy, guests at the party scenes at Gatsby’s mansion, passers-by in the New York City, etc.
The ensemble includes the two specific singing roles (1M/1F): Bandleader who sings ‘A Jazz History of the World’ and the singer who sings ‘Poor Butterfly’ several times. These roles may either be cast as standalone singing roles, or as part of the wider ensemble playing other roles. |
Audition Form