Rent

Rent is a rock musical with music, lyrics and book by Jonathan Larson and is loosely based on Puccini’s opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Manhatton’s East Village and paints an emotional portrait of the gritty bohemian world of New York City in the late 1980’s, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Sadly, in 1996, the show’s creator tragically died the night before the show was to open on Broadway.

On an open small stage the set was mainly bedecked all in black with raised sections to each side and two large segmented frame structures at the back which were so effectively used to show various projected images throughout. Props were used as required and manoeuvred by the cast. A most innovative use was made of a table that when upended, it became a telephone booth.

Mark Cohen, never seen without a camera or camcorder, was primarily an aspiring film-maker but also acted as a narrator. He was once Maureen’s boyfriend (who left him for Joanne) and is continually documenting the lives of those around him despite all their issues, but struggles with his passion for his art, balancing it against the need to have money to pay bills and to survive. Leighton Hendon so brilliantly captures, both in singing and acting, all of these aspects of the character in such an expressive way. He has a fabulous singing voice so much in evidence in all of his many songs. He is best friend and roommate to Roger Davis, a forlorn singer-songwriter who discovers he had HIV/AIDS in a note his girlfriend left him, before taking her own life. He falls in love with Mimi and his one great aim is to write one great song before he dies. Roger was superbly portrayed by Kian Mosley. He too has a most wonderful singing voice and together with his first-rate acting skills (and guitar playing), his reactions to his past and his endearing love for Mimi were so apparent. All of his songs were just so impressively and incredibly delivered and I was literally brought to tears when he sang ‘Your Eyes’ to Mimi, it was totally heart-wrenching. Angel Dumott Schunard is a drag queen who has HIV/AIDS but embraces life and lives it to the full. As well as being able to sing, the part needs someone who can act, dance and also cope with the same-sex physical intimacy and drag queen persona of the role. Well we certainly had all those aspects from Matthew Szadura, he was just amazing with stunning poise and elegance and his final ‘departure’ was so movingly achieved. He meets and falls in love with Tom Collins who is a gay computer wizard and teacher and who is very aware that, because they both are infected with HIV/AIDS, their relationship will not have much of a future. Again you need someone who is comfortable with the requirements of the role and Gareth Elvidge fitted the bill ideally. He portrayed the love and affection he had for Angel so exquisitely with such tender emotion, there was such a lovely warm chemistry between them. Gareth has such a splendid rich, deep singing voice and the singing of  ‘I’ll Cover You’ with Angel was super and the Reprise of it by Gareth, at the funeral of Angel, was spine-chilling. Their love and devotion to one another is really at the heart of the whole story. Yet another good singer and actor is needed for the role of Benny Coffin III who once was the roommate of Mark and Roger but married into money and is now their Landlord. He had been letting them live in the room for free but is now demanding rent. Daniel Ellis fulfilled the role perfectly giving a strong and commanding delivery. A truly exceptional performance came from Emily Skill as Mimi Marquez, an exotic dancer, and a drug addict which led to her contraction of HIV/AIDs. She is Benny’s ex girlfriend and has fallen in love with Roger. Emily has a super singing voice capable of singing not only with great intensity and passion but also with lovely sensitivity. Her acting and dancing skills are top notch enabling her to portray the sexiness, the vulnerability, the joyous nature of Mimi exquisitely and her struggles with drugs were so convincing - she was just scintillating. What an outstanding portrayal came from Nicola Smith as Maureen Johnson, a bisexual performing artist who left Mark and is now the girlfriend of Joanne. Nicola certainly portrayed the boldness and fearlessness of Maureen but what a transformation we saw as she magnificently sung and acted ‘Over The Moon’. She so seductively, provocatively and dramatically strutted around the stage as a ‘cow’ and then as a ‘bulldog’ even getting the audience to ‘moo’ - it was just hilarious. Joanne Jefferson is a lesbian lawyer and is committed to helping those less fortunate than herself and Jesney Swift was just superb in this role. She has a gorgeous singing voice and ideally demonstrated the struggle she had with Maureen’s flirtatious nature which culminated in the terrific duet ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ with Maureen. I loved ‘Tango:Maureen’ a duet with Mark accompanied by some very ‘tangoesque’ movements with a ‘mike’. All the eight principals, gave very powerfully moving, self assured and confident performances in their differing roles and were supported by an equally brilliant ensemble who played Multiple Roles from being Parents, Producers, Drug Dealers, Life Support Members, the homeless, the Police and Bohemians etc. These ensemble members, each having their own identity and several having solo singing parts, were Charlotte Brough, Matthew Alsop, Damon Mason, Hannah Donovan, Lauren Turner, Rebecca Stott, Bernadette Dales, Carolyn Szadura, Sophie Taylor, Charlotte Harrison, Cara Petrillo, Mark Szadura,, Dylan Ciceron, Rebekah Petrillo, Leah Hall, Chloe Nunnington, Beth Evans, Tyra Rimmington and Josh Skeldon. All of the singing by the principals was truly awesome as was that by the extremely harmonious ensemble. There were so many wonderful and moving scenarios, but I must just mention ‘Seasons Of love’, which I thought was phenomenal, and all were further enhanced by the very stylistic imaginative settings, movements and dancing.

It was obvious that a great deal of hard work had been undertaken by everyone involved in this production, especially by the cast, but the whole was greatly enhanced by a terrific lighting and technical plot, by splendid costumes and an innovative set and props. The addition of posters and news items were on display on boards either side of the auditorium and really highlighted the HIV/AIDS crisis that was around at this time and there was an availability of Red Ribbons, with donations going to the National Aids Trust. Many, many congratulations must go to Creative Director Joshua Mason, to Musical Director Melanie Gilbert to Choreographer Emily Skill, to the Back Stage Crew and to the fantastically talented principals and to the ensemble. You are ‘Inspirations’ by name and this was definitely an ‘inspirational’, extremely challenging, thought provoking, awe-inspiring and thoroughly brilliant show and is one of the productions to celebrate your 25th. Anniversary Year. May I also add my special thanks to Joshua for his warm welcome and hospitality.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.