Embrace the spirit of the Jazz Age for 'The Great Gatsby' in the West End

Dress up, learn the Charleston, visit an Art Deco mansion, and enjoy cocktails ahead of your trip to the summer's must-see musical!

A century has passed since the original “Roaring Twenties”, but the essence of the decade’s high spirits, decadence, and fabulous fashion, music, and dancing retains an indelible appeal in the popular consciousness. F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, published a century ago this year, masterfully combines glamour and tragedy and is the benchmark against which all chronicles of the Jazz Age are measured.

Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen, and Kait Kerrigan’s musical version of The Great Gatsby began life at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse before arriving on Broadway in 2024 (the story, fittingly, is set in New York City and nearby Long Island). Its West End residency at the majestic London Coliseum started last month and continues throughout the summer. The show stars West End favourites Jamie Muscato and Frances Mayli McCann as the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his old flame, Daisy, and boasts outstanding production values and sumptuous Tony-winning costumes.

It's fun to enter into the spirit of a show by dressing up and engaging in related activities. London might not be New York but it has no shortage of Jazz Age-inspired attractions that can elevate your experience and make the marvellous party even more special! Read our guide for how to recreate Roaring Twenties revelry ahead of your theatre outing.

Book The Great Gatsby tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Dress the part

There’s no dress code for the show but it can be fun to dress up if you feel so inclined. Perhaps you have a piece of Art Deco-inspired jewellery or a fetching cloche-style hat that deserves an outing. If you’re looking for the real thing, try Found & Vision on Portobello Road, Paper Dress Vintage in Hackney, or Brick Lane Vintage Market. You can also find pieces (real and replicas) on Etsy, eBay, and Vinted. Imitation accessories such as feathered headbands, evening gloves, and costume jewellery don’t cost a fortune and can really elevate an outfit!

For ladies, skirts rose from skimming the ankles, to the mid-shin, and finally below the knee (not above). While there are many exquisite examples of beaded dresses from this era, the simple “little black dress”, popularised by Coco Chanel in 1926, was strikingly modern and democratic. Louise Brooks, Clara Bow, and Josephine Baker were among the most iconic 1920s style icons. For gentlemen, a three-piece suit (especially ones with pinstripes), fedora hats, and two-tone shoes remain effortlessly stylish.

Learn to dance the Charleston

Few things define the 1920s quite like the Charleston, a dance that’s named after the South Carolina city of the same name. While the dance has got African American origins, anthropologist Harold Courlander explained that the Charleston ultimately "was a synthetic creation, a newly devised conglomerate tailored for widespread popular appeal." The first piece of music titled “The Charleston” appeared in 1923, composed by James P. Johnson, and was part of the score for the Broadway hit Runnin’ Wild.

There are many variations of the Charleston and it can be performed solo, with a partner, and as a group of solo or paired dancers. It’s been popularised with modern audiences with its regular appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, where it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser with its comic elements, potential for exciting lifts and stunts, and signature swivel. Charleston dance classes are great fun but if you’re short on time, YouTube tutorials are a great way to learn the basics. Energy and flair are more important than perfect technique!

Visit a Jazz Age Art Deco mansion

Head away from the tourist trail to Eltham, south-east London (about 20 minutes on the train from London Bridge), to visit a unique historical house where you can experience two historical eras for the price of one. Eltham Palace consists of the surviving medieval great hall of a royal residence (where Henry VIII spent much of his childhood) with an Art Deco home attached. Stephen and Virginia Courtauld took over the site in 1933 and restored the hall and built the state-of-the-art modern extension (their pet lemur Mah-Jongg had his own centrally heated quarters). Like Gatsby, the Courtaulds were famous for entertaining and it's been dubbed English Heritage's "party palace". Eltham Palace’s Art Deco glamour has featured in many films, including I Capture the Castle (2003) and Brideshead Revisited (2008).

Enjoy decadent refreshments

An abundance of cocktails and other beverages are served in The Great Gatsby. The London Coliseum has several well-equipped bars that open 90 minutes before curtain-up and there are numerous other options around London that will help you to get into the spirit.

Afternoon tea at the Coliseum

If you’re attending a matinee performance, why not elevate the experience with an indulgent Great Gatsby-themed afternoon tea? You can upgrade with prosecco or champagne options for extra bubbles. Daisy would love it!

The Luggage Room

Located on Grosvenor Square (former home of the American Embassy) in the heart of Mayfair, this new cocktail bar provides a speakeasy style experience with inventive cocktail varieties. Try a "Gatsby Gorge" with Rabbit Hole Straight Rye whiskey, coffee cinnamon syrup, maple syrup, angostura bitters, and cloves tincture.

Brasserie Zedel

This authentic Art Deco gem in Piccadilly is a true London classic for cocktails and dinner. There’s an excellent value three-course set menu at just under £20, or, if you’re feeling extravagant, try oysters and steak-frites.

The American Bar at the Savoy

If you want to push the boat out, have a drink at one of the world’s most famous bars. The newest menu “Liquid Moments” is inspired by the many colourful stories that have unfolded at the Savoy – Jay Gatsby knows a thing or two about the potency memories!

Book tickets for The Great Gatsby in the West End

Now that you’ve got the perfect outfit, mastered some nifty dance steps, visited a real Art Deco mansion and had a drink and something to eat, it’s time for the show! Take your seats and prepare to be immersed in the glittering romantic tragedy that has transfixed readers for precisely a century.

Book The Great Gatsby tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.