Rent

  Now this is a ‘Marmite’ show, and it has a certain cult following but maybe, just maybe, it does not generally have wide audience appeal...With this in mind I travelled (some distance) with a certain feeling of what would I be seeing, as Dereham was not necessarily a town where this sort of show would appeal to the general public? Well never pre-empt a production before you see it!!

Here Dereham (now a Theatre Company), displayed premier league status as they delivered a gritty piece of shall we say, depressing content (drugs and HIV deaths is not every ones idea of a fun night out!), with an enthusiasm which transcends the darker side of the piece. The fast paced action and skill of the actors was obvious from the start, as would be cinematographer Mark Cohen (Dominic Sands)  acting as narrator throughout, introduced himself, as he filmed his friend and room mate Roger Davis (Sam Greig), an ex rock guitarist and singer now HIV positive and hoping to write one more ‘big’ song! These two were superb throughout with excellent stage presence and vocal prowess which shone through each and every song in which they were involved, and there were many! We really enjoyed their performances.

Contrasting the ‘boy’s’ powerful and dominating presence, we had the almost gentle pacifying persona and vocal prowess of Mimi Marquez (Chloe Hunter), she brought a certain peace and counter balance to the piece. Hers was a deceptively captivating performance which engaged with her tragic life and need for the attention of the men around her. A more brash and flirtatious role was nicely portrayed by Maureen Johnson (Kara Field) who trod the path of bi- sexuality with confidence and strength particularly when linked with the antics of ‘out there’ lesbian Joanne Jefferson’ (Laura Marvell-James), who was perhaps blighted in her relationship with Maureen because of her politically powerful parents. They made an engaging and interesting ‘couple’.  The Landlord of the apartments, Benjamin ‘Benny’ Collins (Matt Hartley) just happened to be an old school ‘friend’ but married into real estate money, he was suitably arrogant and still attempted to exercise his influence, particularly with Mimi, with whom he previously had a relationship of some sort! More strong vocals here. Impossible to name all the musical numbers in this mostly sung piece, but they were all superb!

Now this convoluted bunch of seeming misfits were joined in friendship by a remarkable drag queen Angel Dumott Schunard ( Jack Jarvis) who simply for the most part appeared as a drag artist and conveyed the transgender persona with ‘gay’ abandon. His friend and unlikely ‘lover’ Tom Collins (Joseph Reed), a ‘failed’ academic professor, showed  true compassion for Angel and the scene of Angel's death was a moving and tear jerking moment, which clearly had ramifications for all those involved. More strong vocals from this pair.

There were any number of strong cameo roles all played with conviction and energy, providing a strength in depth from the ensemble numbers, which were many and various, indeed the musicality of the piece shone through and played a large part in the successful portrayal of a difficult story line and received a well deserved standing ovation from the audience, and this was the opening night! I hope audiences for the rest of the week were equally generous and receptive, as this young group of actors deserved all the accolades for an outstanding production.

The well balanced orchestra in the adjacent studio provided sympathetic support, and technicals were of a high standard enhancing the atmospheric fluctuations and mood of the whole piece!

 My journey home was filled with far more positive thoughts of an interesting, and yes, enjoyable evening’s entertainment...well done Dereham, enjoy your well earned Premier League status!

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