Rent

I am fearful of putting pen to paper on this review – the show was so powerful I truly don’t think I can do the production justice.  Rent portrays Bohemian New York in the mid-90s and is based around characters who live in an East Village squat.   Together they face the challenges of homelessness, drugs and HIV and – as accentuated by the song ‘No Day But Today’ – they have an immediate need to live in the here and now.  Dee Bennie-Marshall created a wonderful production where this talented cast could perform with the energy and raw passion needed to portray life on the edge of so many precipices.  Her vision, creativity and amazing choreography brought together a stunning show.

The singing was outstanding and Musical Director, Matthew Symonds had worked with lead characters and ensemble to ensure that the audience were blown away by the passionate and powerful voices singing some very emotional songs.

The casting was brilliant.  The story follows the relationships, from once Christmas Eve to the next, of Collins (Ben Loy) and his drag queen lover Angel (Will Towler) as well as Roger (Josh Roberts) a tender aspiring musician whose demons seem set to ruin his future when he falls for night club dance Mimi played by Chloe Jackson.  Loy and Towler had great chemistry and both played their roles with great compassion.  Their onstage interaction and numbers were excellent – particularly “I’ll Cover You”.  (How Towler moved around the tiered set in those shoes – let alone danced on tables - I will never know.)  I was particularly moved by their connections in Angels’ final scene.  Roberts and Jackson were another great pairing and they perfectly captured the intensity of a relationship where secrets and shadows are never far away.   Jackson is clearly a force to be reckoned with – I have seen her in three contrasting lead roles in the past two months and she played each exceptionally.  Her dance routines in Rent were captivating and I particularly enjoyed ‘Out Tonight’.

Recording their lives through a camera lens is their friend Mark, played by Sam Hague – Hague is another incredibly versatile actor who narrated and guided this show throughout.  Mark’s ex-girlfriend is performance artiste Maureen (Kirsty Taylor) who is now with Joanne (April Taylor).  Their relationship was well portrayed through the duet ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ and these ladies were vicious, but captivating. Kirsty Taylors performance of  ‘Over the Moon’ was incredible and she exuded the edgy confidence required of the role.

The role of landlord Benny was played with venom by Ashley Booker – who was beyond horrid and Booker acted in such a harsh realistic way that made you believe he really would evict his former friends.   There were excellent supporting performances by Karen Wilkins as Mark’s mum, Catherine Enos as Roger’s mum, Natasha Stacey as Alexis Darling, Sally Beech and Geoff Fenwick as Mr & Mrs Jefferson.

There was real intensity in the performances of everyone on stage - cast and ensemble.  The harsh realities of the challenges of life in 90’s New York’s East Village in the very underbelly of a cruel class system were clearly played out and this could be felt by the audience.

The set was well designed for this show and was used to great effect by the cast.  The costumes were perfect for the production as were the scenery and the props.  The stage was well managed throughout.

Congratulations to everyone involved – This was such a powerful, emotional, poignant and passionate production.  The energy which flowed from the stage was tangible and the talented cast brought the characters to life through their incredible portrayals.  They conveyed the story so that the audience left feeling more alert, alive and aware that there really is ‘No Day But Today’.

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