Review: Great Gatsby Afternoon Tea & Show
Review: Great Gatsby Afternoon Tea & Show
Experience the glitz, glamour, and decadence of the Roaring 20s at Sheraton Grand’s Gatsby Afternoon Tea
By Caroline McConnico
There aren’t many nights where you can sip a Green Light Martini in a 1920s ballroom, chat with Gatsby cast members, and then stroll to a West End theatre, unless you have somehow transported into a F. Scott Fitzgerald fever dream.
My fabulous night began when I walked into the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane Hotel for The Great Gatsby: Only Afternoon Tea! experience, where I was guided into a lavishly decorated room complete with flowers, boater hats and of course, green lighting. The event, hosted by the hotel in celebration of The Great Gatsby: A New Musical, blended theatrical dining with Broadway-worthy drama. It began with cocktails and conversation, unfolded over an opulent afternoon tea, and ended with a stunning performance at the London Coliseum.
We were first presented with alcohol-free cocktails with The Great Gatsby logo printed on the top. The drink was a tart, aromatic twist on a classic sour, proving you don’t need booze to feel the buzz of the Jazz Age.
Before tea was served, we had the pleasure of meeting three Gatsby cast members, Frances Mayli McCann who plays Daisy Buchanan, Joel Montague who plays George Wilson, and John Owen-Jones who plays Meyer Wolfsheim. The cast was lovely and their enthusiasm about the show was infectious, setting the stage for what was to come.
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The afternoon tea menu, designed in collaboration with the show’s creative team, was full of clever nods to Fitzgerald’s characters and settings. My personal favourites included the East Egg Truffle Salad and Gatsby Club sandwiches. The sandwiches were so light and yummy, we requested more!
Moving up the tea tower, we sampled the plain and golden raisin scones with clotted cream and seasonal preserves. As a self-proclaimed scone connoisseur, I thought these were done perfectly — crisp on the outside with a fluffy, buttery centre. We enjoyed them so much that it sparked a lively debate with the cast over the age-old question: cream or jam first?
The desserts on the top of the tower embraced all of the drama and flair of the 1920s. The Lemon & Jazz-mine Meringue Pie had a perfect balance of tart and sweet with just a whisper of jasmine. My favourite was the Gatsby Black Forest Gateau which had a hard chocolate exterior and rich velvet inside all topped with a gloriously juicy cherry.
At this point, we were all so stuffed, they basically had to roll us out of the door. We took the 20-minute walk to the London Coliseum, strolling through the early evening light, digesting and anticipating the performance ahead. Arriving at the venue, we joined a packed audience for the 7:30 p.m. curtain.
I have almost no words for what happened next. The lights, the costumes, the sets. It was almost too much to look at. The score was bold and varied, the staging lavish, and the emotion surprisingly raw. Directed by Marc Bruni and choreographed by Dominique Kelley, the musical perfectly reimagined Fitzgerald’s novel in a modern yet deeply haunting way, swinging between intoxicating glamour and poignant heartbreak.
After the show, we ventured to the stage door where we got to see the cast again, including American Actor and Singer Corbin Bleu. American Director and Choreographer Kenny Ortega also made a guest appearance.
I highly recommend this experience whether you are a die-hard Fitzgerald fan or simply in search of a special night out. This isn’t just pre-theatre dining; It is immersive, elegant and utterly transportive.
The Great Gatsby: Only Afternoon Tea! is available daily at Sheraton Grand London Park Lane’s Palm Court until 7 September. The Great Gatsby: A New Musical is showing at the London Coliseum through 7 September.
