Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre has announced rescheduled dates and the full creative team for its new production of Jonathan Larson’s innovative musical Rent.
Originally due to play a limited season from 31 July 2020, with rehearsals scheduled to begin a month earlier, the venue has taken the decision to announce new dates (from 30 October to 13 December) for the production in the hope that theatres will be able to reopen later this year.
Commenting on the decision to re-schedule the production, William Whelton, executive director of Hope Mill Theatre, said: “These are extremely difficult and unsettling times for our industry and there is still a lot more clarity needed for venues.
“It is still unknown whether or not we will be able to open later this year, but we are staying hopeful and positive that we will be able to. As such, we must continue to look ahead and make plans. If we can reopen, it is vital that we have content to present – and I know this will be an incredible production.
“We will be making sure our audiences, staff, cast and production team feel safe and confident to be able to attend and work in the venue and we are planning at the moment for every eventuality, including the continuation of social distancing and making sure that all necessary risk assessments have been carried out.
“If we feel at any point that it is not safe or economic to reopen then we will review this decision. It would also be irresponsible for us to not anticipate a further postponement of this production in the current climate.”
The production’s director Luke Sheppard added: “When the time is right, we are more committed than ever before to bringing Rent to the Hope Mill Theatre. The strong themes of love and hope that drive the piece have never felt more vital. The production we have planned will be a celebration of what it means to experience live theatre, and I look forward daily to sitting in this amazing space on opening night.”
Sheppard will head a creative team that includes: choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves, musical director Katy Richardson, set and costume designer David Woodhead, LX designer Howard Hudson, sound designer Paul Gatehouse and casting is by Pearson Casting.
Inspired by Puccini’s opera La Bohème, Larson’s critically-acclaimed work won four Tony Awards, six Drama Desk awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1996.
Rent has book, music and lyrics by Larson, musical arrangements by Steve Skinner, original concept and additional lyrics by Billy Aronson, music supervision and additional arrangements by Tim Weil, and dramaturg is Lynn Thomson.
Angela Thomas
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