RENT

RENT is a rock musical with music, lyrics, and book by Jonathan Larson. It is based on Puccini’s opera La Boheme. RENT follows a year in the lives of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive in Lower Manhattan's East Village, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

Ruth Cheek’s excellent production began its magic in the bar, with some fun pastiches of period posters. The theatre was packed with an eager audience. The programme was slim but attractive and informative. It had bags of information about the show and its history. The cast members were well represented in their bios and photographs.

The set was good & grungy; and lighting was complex but sensitively done. Projections were well chosen & beautifully played…and the telephone conversations were hilarious.

Ben Ashwood’s musical direction was very effective. The whole cast sang beautifully and the band gave a great supporting sound…if a little heavy on the bass sometimes.

Props were handled efficiently; and the costumes were scruffy & sexy and very much of the time and period.

It’s a small performance area at the Green Room; and Ruth handled this counterintuitively by having everyone onstage all the time. It worked beautifully…subtle lighting and generous fogging helped to mask cast members who weren’t actually performing. And the performances throughout were attractive and utterly believable.

Matt Barnet captured the lonely spirit of Mark, a wannabe film-maker who stoically records the progress of his companions and their struggle for survival.

His flatmate, Roger (Ben Hopkins) is a rock musician who is depressed by his girlfriend’s suicide and his own HIV diagnosis. He struggles to compose one last song before he dies. One Song Glory beautifully captured his pain.

They opened the show with a fine number Tune Up A & B, along with their ex-roommate Benny and Tom Collins.

Ruth Cheek played Benny, an ex-roommate who had become the landlord of the flats. She attempts to be tough & ruthless, but cannot quite break free of her past friendships. Tom, meanwhile, was being mugged in an alley. He’s rescued by Angel; and they duetted on the sweet number You Okay Honey ? Brandon J Arnold and Sam Bevan perfectly portrayed their blossoming relationship, Angel’s decline and Tom’s grief.

Roger encountered Mimi (Lily Porter…freaked-out & wonderfully exciting in Out Tonight) and there was an instant mutual attraction. But, because of his condition, he maintains a reluctance to commit. They duetted delightfully on the raunchy Light my Candle, powerful Another Day and the heartbreaking  Without You. Roger finally admits his love in the stunning Your Eyes as Mimi lies seriously ill.

Today For You was a sparky performance by Angel in full drag and full throttle, and then in You’ll See Benny unfolded her plans.

Jess Dunne gave compassion & authority to lawyer, Joanne, whilst pursuing her errant lover Maureen (a fiery Meg Richards). Joanne and Mark vented their frustrations with this lady in the crisp, delicious duet Tango Maureen.

The ensemble were also extremely talented and  showed great characterisation: Elise Thompson could be both warm & violent; Rowan Hales had bags of enthusiasm & a fine, clear voice; Joe Halligan gave some good guitar work & a lovely intro to Seasons and Frankie Chatterton displayed really strong interactions with her colleagues…and a killer smile !

Full company numbers such as La Vie Boheme/I should Tell You and Seasons of Love were just glorious.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.