Hope Mill’s Rent to return in August 2021

Picture: Pamela Raith

Hope Mill Theatre’s hit production of Jonathan Larson’s rock musical Rent will return for live performances this summer.

After playing just five performances in the short window before restrictions returned late last year, the production will play the Manchester venue for a strictly limited season from 6 August until 19 September 2021.

Announcing the latest dates for the production which was originally due to open in July 2020, the executive director of Hope Mill Theatre, William Whelton said: “It was so heart-breaking to have to close our production of Rent after only five shows, due to entering another lockdown. We were so thrilled that we managed to capture the show and share it with audiences online. The reaction to the show both critically and with audiences alike was truly overwhelming. However, we built this show to be experienced live and there is still a lot of unfinished business with this special show. It is with such excitement that we announce we will be bringing back Rent to Hope Mill Theatre later this year for another run. We hope to bring back as many of the original cast as possible and once again share this truly electric, heart-warming and unique version with our audiences.”

Casting will be announced soon for the production which is directed by Luke Sheppard. He heads a creative team that includes: choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves, musical supervisor Katy Richardson, musical director Chris Poon, set and costume designer David Woodhead, LX designer Howard Hudson, sound designer Paul Gatehouse, projection designer George Reeve, assistant director Priya Appleby, costume supervisor Ester Mangas, production photographer Dujonna Gift-Simms, and make-up and wigs designer Jackie Saundercock. 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.

The rock musical boasts a book, music and lyrics by Larson, with musical arrangements by Steve Skinner, original concept and additional lyrics by Billy Aronson, music supervision and additional arrangements by Tim Weil, and a dramaturg by Lynn Thomson. Rent was originally produced in New York by New York Theatre Workshop and on Broadway by Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Alan S. Gordon and New York Theatre Workshop.

Angela Thomas