Rent
Tom Stoppard Theatre
Booking until 29th May 2027
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
Review
Thirty years after it first opened on Broadway, Rent returns to the London stage in a triumphant revival. Written by the late Jonathan Larson, the story of Rent is loosely based on the 1896 opera La bohème and follows a group of impoverished artists and creatives in the New York City as the impact of HIV/AIDS began to spread through the world.
Largely told through a series of footages shot by Mark (Gaten Matarazzo), a film maker, who lives with his flatmate, Roger (Travis Ross), in rundown building now owned by Mark’s wealthy ex-roommate, Benny (Joaquin Pedro Valdes). Their interactions with a group of young people living through the struggles of daily lives as the society begins to turn on them is the focus of this show.
The lasting impact of this show’s music transcends time and space, and have become modern musical classics. The likes of “Seasons of Love” and “La Vie Bohème” are instantaneously recognisable, both the melody and the lyrics carry the emotions of the journeys the character embark on. Under Luke Sheppard’s direction, this production captures the key essences of both ecstasy and each character’s downward spiral.
Despite the overwhelming hardship and tragedy begin to sweep through the group, there remains a sense of hope in the story, a true testament to Larson’s sheer talent to turn daily life events into music that recapitulate the emotions that accompany each of the characters. Primarily focused on three couples, Roger and Mimi (Alexa Lopez), Collins (Billy Nevers) and drag queen Angel (Jeevan Braich), and Mark’s ex, Maureen (Lazy Violet) and her new partner, Joanne (Danielle Fiamanya). The actors’ portrayal of their characters is nuanced and unique, becoming the personification of some of musical theatre’s most well-known characters.
Ross and Lopez, in the roles of two HIV positive young people, bounce off each other’s negativity. Their portrayals are raw with pain in almost every scene, where the smallest things can trigger something catastrophic. Although sad and painful, this precisely what is needed to catapult the brief moments of joy into new heights.
Among this stellar and exceptional cast, Braich and Fiamanya get my votes as the standout performers. Braich’s take on Angel is so incredibly full of life, with or without drag, and is the embodiment of playfulness, generating some of the biggest laughs and also during his moment of vulnerability before death, overwhelming sadness that permeates through the entire auditorium. Fiamanya has some of the best vocal range of this cast, belting out the numbers as if it’s a walk in the park. However, it is her ability to interact so naturally with the other characters that make her a delightful watch. In particular, her ability to turn the awkward encounter with Mark into an intimate scene during “Tango: Maureen” is without a doubt one of the highlights of the show.
The creatives of this show, from the set designed by David Woodhead, to video and cinematography by George Reeve and Nathan Amzi, and choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves, each one of them brought their A-game to this show, creating something that literally shines a bright light over the hellish life inhabited by the characters. On a stage dotted with small old-style box TV monitors, clips of Mark’s footage can be seen, almost as if he is presenting his work to the audience and physical immersing the audience into the lives of the people involved in the various shoots.
A tremendous revival of a modern classic, each member of the cast work harmoniously together to make each one of the five-hundred-twenty-five-thousand-six-hundred-minute count. This production of Rent has certainly paid its due and then some.
Creatives
Book, Music, Lyrics: Jonathan Larson
Director: Luke Sheppard
Associate Music Supervisor & Musical Director: Katy Richardson
Choreographer: Tom Jackson Greaves
Set Design: David Woodhead
Video Design and Cinematography: George Reeve & Nathan Amzi
Costume Design: Gabriella Slade
Make-up and Hair Design: Jackie Saundercock
Intimacy Director: Asha Jennings-Grant
Dramaturg for the original stage play: Lynn Thompson
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