Ncuti Gatwa Brings Jay Gatsby to Life in the Radio Adaptation 'Gatsby in Harlem'

Ncuti Gatwa has been super busy lately, filming Doctor Who and playing Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Lyttelton Theatre. But it seems all of that wasn’t enough for him, as he recently starred in the new BBC Radio 3 adaptation of The Great Gatsby, titled Gatsby in Harlem, reimagined by Roy Williams.

The story of Gatsby in Harlem is more or less the same, except it takes place in 1920s Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, offering a fresh take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic. In it, Gatwa plays the mysterious Jay Gatsby, joined by Malachi Kirby as Nick Carraway, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Daisy Buchanan, Chiké Okonkwo as Tom Buchanan, and more.

Reflecting on his work on the show, Gatwa called it a “wee blessing,” as Gatsby is one of his favorite characters of all time. In the video, he also shared that The Great Gatsby is the only book he has read. He added that if you’re a jazz music fan, this adaptation will be just right for you.

If you’re interested in hearing Gatwa’s take on Jay Gatsby, now is your chance. The first part is available to stream for free via the BBC website, and the second part will be available on January 19th.