The design called for a richly visual world that captured the glamour and disintegration of the Jazz Age. Every scenic element was crafted to reflect this duality — from fretwork and gilded surfaces to curved structures and metallic detailing — combining scenic artistry with structural integrity. While the aesthetic drew heavily on Art Deco architecture and Fitzgerald’s symbolic palette, the production also required full integration with a complex system of automation and video mapping. 

Our remit included the construction of a large-format scenic environment over 25 metres wide, built on a custom show deck with thirteen integrated automation tracks. These supported tracked scenic elements that moved fluidly in cue with performance, while flown structures above required precise coordination due to limited clearances in the fly tower. Tight spacing between moving elements and the venue’s overhead rigging demanded detailed 3D modelling, careful prefabrication, and thorough rehearsal of installation sequencing — all part of the discipline of high-end theatre design and technical staging. 

Incorporating lighting and video elements directly into the scenic structure presented additional technical demands. LED apertures, integrated lightboxes, and projection-mapped surfaces had to be fabricated to fine tolerances, maintaining design accuracy while housing sensitive digital components. Our South London workshop handled all prefabrication using CNC-cut timber, mild steel, meshwork and decorative mouldings, all finished in metallic tones with carefully aged scenic treatments. Every component was pre-built, pre-fitted and tested on site in the UK prior to installation at the Coliseum. 

Throughout the install, we worked in close coordination with the production’s automation and control specialists to ensure seamless performance of all moving scenic elements. Collaboration and clear communication were essential to achieving smooth integration across disciplines, from lighting and video to show control and stage mechanics. 

This production reflected the best of what bespoke scenic construction can offer: creative alignment with the design team, precision engineering, and the ability to deliver within compressed timelines. The interplay between digital content and physical stage scenery was consistently praised by reviewers and audiences alike as one of the defining achievements of the show. 

Our work on The Great Gatsby continues Scott Fleary’s commitment to building complex, high-impact scenic environments for theatre, live events and broadcast. The project reinforced the value of early technical engagement, detailed previsualisation, and tight coordination with creative and technical partners — all vital components in delivering world-class UK stage design and theatre fabrication services.