Rent

Jonathan Larson’s Rent follows the lives of a group of friends in New York’s East Village during the 1990s, many of whom are living in the long shadow of AIDS.  Based on Puccini’s La Boheme, Rent is a complex, fast moving show that challenges both its performers and its audience.  I am happy to say that the EODS cast rose to the challenge very well (and the audience didn’t seem to do too badly either!)

On entering the auditorium, we were greeted by an impressive, multi-level set with a strong industrial theme – all scaffold poles and bare platforms, with a long balcony running across the rear (I learnt later that, amazingly, this had been put together at very short notice when an earlier plan fell through).  There was a particularly impressive Christmas tree in one corner, garlanded with a variety of bottles of booze, which lit up like fairy lights during the festive scenes. 

The set was very nicely lit, in particular to provide a focus on different performance areas, crucial in these days of radio mics when it is sometimes hard to identify the location of a performer.  Well done to Steve Calcutt and his team.  The four-piece band, led by Musical Director Paul Collacott, were on stage throughout, gathered in a corner amidst the metalwork.  This is one of the signature elements of Rent, and it worked very well. 

As the show opened, we were introduced to flatmates Mark (Rhys Milbery) and Roger (Daniel Denton Harris), struggling to the pay their rent to one-time friend but now antagonistic landlord Benny (Dan Hampshire.)  These were two strong, believable performances, anchoring the plot and providing the audience with an accessible way in to the story.  Their neighbour Mimi, played by Bex Lou Walton in a full throttle performance, soon arrived to flirt with Roger in ‘Light My Candle’, the beginning of a slow-burn, on-off love affair that ran through the whole show.

Meanwhile, their friend Tom Collins (Nathan Warren) met drag performer Angel (Alex Millar) in an alleyway, and the shows second great love story began.  This pair formed a very realistic bond, making life and soul Angel’s later death all the more moving.  The action then moved to the location of a protest arranged by Joanne (Nicola Jackson) and her girlfriend Maureen (Molly Jewitt), who is also Mark’s ex-partner (it’s complicated!) This culminated in a brilliantly surreal, over the top rendition of an avant-garde ‘Over the Moon’ by Molly, who also showed off an excellent singing voice throughout.

The ensemble were slowly introduced as the story evolved, in what felt like a very natural way.  As well as playing small named roles, they provided very effective vocal and dance backing to the principals in songs such as ‘Tango Maureen’ and Mimi’s ‘Out Tonight’.  There were some really nice tableaux featuring the whole cast, in particular at the end of ‘We’re Okay’ (also accompanied by a nice lighting effect) and during the iconic ‘Seasons of Love’ which opens the second half.  ‘La vie Boheme’, closing the first half, was suitably riotous, and the finale was suffused with a warm togetherness that sums up this play.

The second half of the show sees the group fracture and reform, as Angel sadly succumbs to AIDS; Mark and Roger complete their respective artistic journeys; and Mimi apparently dies too, only to return to life following an encounter with Angel’s spirit.  You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium during this final, dramatic scene, which is a tribute to the cast and to director Clare Campbell, who clearly grabbed the opportunity to stage this show with both hands!  There was another good piece of lighting to accompany Angel’s reappearance at the very end, with multi-coloured blocks of light echoing the ‘Pride’ flag. 

Rent is quite a complicated, fast moving show, with key plot points often being divulged in a single line of a song.  I did struggle from time to time to pick up the lyrics – perhaps the band were a little loud, or the singers a little too quiet.  Nevertheless, the whole cast did well to convey the emotion and power of this show.  Given the focus on togetherness and family, it seems wrong somehow not to name the ensemble, so hearty congratulations to Charlie Brown, Emily Callaghan, Lara Clements, Imogen Easton, Simon Edwards, Marcus Gilks, Carys Hawes, Ashleigh Houghton, Kelly-Marie Selby, Becs Swift, and Claire Watson.  You all played your part in bringing Rent to thrilling life.

My thanks to all at EODS for the very warm welcome extended to me, and my NODA colleagues, including President Graham Liverton, who was quite rightly effusive in his praise for this talented group of performers.  Well done to you all, and I look forward to seeing you later in the year for Our House.

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