Gatz!

Hey Sport, 'Gatsby' opens next week in London and the much hyped, much anticipated film by Baz Luhrmann is expected to be one of the hottest, most stylish films this year with a young, beautiful cast and the amazing Prada costumes. But I can't do it, I refuse to watch Leo with his annoying, nasal voice playing Jay Gatsby. And that mousy Carey Mulligan really gets on my nerves. I read that Toby Maguire was 'perfectly cast' as Nick Carraway, but no, I just can't do it. 

This is one of my favourite novels, so succinctly and well written by one of my favourite authors. And the original film with Robert Redford, Mia Farrow and Sam Waterston is an absolute classic. Really shouldn't mess with perfection.

Last year, I was able to catch Gatz, a six-hour play staged by a New York theatre ensemble called Elevator Repair Service. It's an interesting take as the novel was read out loud, verbatim, while the actors played out the drama, linking reality with the written word. The narrator was impressive as although he seemed to be reading from the book, he actually memorised every word. Believe it or not, the six hours flew by.

But I can't spare the two for the new film, no matter how pretty and sparkly it may be.