Rent

Rent - is one of those bewilderingly popular shows among show folk and always excites a good deal of enthusiasm from performers who clamour to be involved in a production and for musical theatre fans to book their tickets early when a production is in the offing. The show’s peculiar magic has never rubbed off on me unfortunately – it has always struck me as being a rather tawdry and pointless re-vamp of ‘La Boheme’ for people who prefer shouting and noise to singing and music - and I don’t understand its appeal at all: however, each to their own as they say! This was certainly a well mounted and thoughtful production which seemed to please both those on stage - who were clearly enjoying themselves and throwing themselves into the proceedings - and a large very appreciative audience.

The scenery was well designed and gave a variety of levels for performance.  The flexibility of the tables moving around gave different shapes to great effect.  The ease with which the actors used the stage indicated the efficient design constructed by Scenery Solutions.  Lighting and sound were very creative and most effective throughout the production. In particular, the control of the sound made for pleasurable enjoyment and appreciation of the diction.

The Musical Director, Christopher Hall, is to be congratulated on achieving such a high standard with such diverse and difficult music.  The balance between band and cast was good and the speed was always appropriate.  The quality of singing was good and the diction clear most of the time – not easy with this style of music.

This show is an ensemble production and as such each individual has their own character (or two!).  The run of the show requires most people to be on stage most of the time which necessitates a great deal of concentration – this was achieved to a high degree.  The direction was both well interpreted and well executed.  It was obvious each character had a distinct role to play in the action and they maintained their roles superbly.Mark and Roger, two of the main protagonists,  played by Sam Gregory and Jim Smith, held the opening together well and as the show wore on. Jim Smith was a very believable Roger and really brought the character to life in a meaningful way. The arrival of Liam Baker as Tom Collins added an extra lift to the performance.

James Gould played the part of the rapacious landlord Ben Coffin and the trio of female principal roles were also very well served by Katy Watt, Vikki-Jo Keens and Angharad Morgan as Maureen, Mimi and Joanne. The ladies gave a very good account of themselves throughout the show.  Maureen’s ‘Over the Moon’ was particularly well sung, Mimi was above all strong in her numbers and Joanne gave a similarly strong vocal presence with her every appearance. It was also heartening to see a number of smaller cameo roles being given a very polished and professional portrayal. With a supporting cast of such talent and a very strong principal line-up, there was no denying the talent on display on stage. This was a very well-staged production and benefitted from some excellent touches throughout both acts. Director Dawn Broomfield had clearly got herself immersed

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.