Florence Welch, frontwoman of Florence + the Machine, is to write music and lyrics for an adaptation of The Great Gatsby to be staged on Broadway.
F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel of love, class friction and callousness in 1920s New York will be adapted for the stage by Martyna Majok, who won the 2018 Pulitzer prize for drama for her play Cost of Living. She and Welch will write lyrics for songs composed by Welch and Thomas Bartlett, the musician and producer also known as Doveman.
“This book has haunted me for a large part of my life,” Welch said in a statement. “It contains some of my favourite lines in literature. Musicals were my first love, and I feel a deep connection to Fitzgerald’s broken romanticism. It is an honour to have been offered the chance to recreate this book in song.”
The cast and production timeline has not been announced. It will be directed by Rebecca Frecknall, whose 2019 production of Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke won an Olivier award for best revival.
As a producer, Bartlett has worked with artists including St Vincent, Rufus Wainwright and Yoko Ono, and his collaboration with Sufjan Stevens, Mystery of Love, was nominated for best original song at the 2018 Academy Awards. He and Welch have previously worked together, with Bartlett producing the Florence + the Machine song Jenny of Oldstones for the Game of Thrones soundtrack.
One of the show’s producers is Amanda Ghost, a successful songwriter and record industry executive who has worked with artists including Beyoncé and John Legend. She too has collaborated with Welch in the past, co-writing two songs on the singer’s 2011 album Ceremonials.
