Further tour dates and full cast details have been announced for the 20th anniversary production of Jonathan Larson’s innovative American musical Rent which began rehearsals this week ahead of its launch in Wales next month.
The show, which will be directed by Bruce Guthrie, will play a limited season at Theatr Clywd in Mold from 21 October until 12 November before embarking on a three-week tour prior to a Christmas season at London’s St James Theatre where it has already broken box office records.
Presented by Robert Mackintosh and Idili Theatricals in association with Theatr Clywd and Wales Millennium Centre, the new production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning show will play the St James from 8 December until 28 January 2017. Rent will hit the road again from 31 January until 27 May next year.
Completing the cast are Javar La’trial Parker (Show Boat) and Joshua Dever (Jesus Christ Superstar) who join the previously announced Ross Hunter (Rock of Ages), Billy Cullum (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Ryan O’Gorman (Les Misérables), Shanay Holmes (The Bodyguard), Layton Williams (Thriller Live), Philippa Stefani (In The Heights) and Lucie Jones (Legally Blonde). The cast also includes Kevin Yates, Jordan Laviniere, Christina Modestou, Bobbie Little, Jenny O’Leary and Katie Bradley.
The new production of Rent is choreographed by Lee Proud with set design by Anna Fleischle and costume design by Loren Elstein. Lighting design is by Rick Fisher with sound design by Mike Walker, video design by Andrzej Goulding, musical direction by Phil Cornwell and casting is by Will Burton Casting.
Following the Theatr Clywd run the tour will play Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre (15-19 November); the Malvern Festival Theatre (22-26 November); and the Wycombe Swan (29 November–3 December).
The 2017 leg of the tour will begin in Eastbourne at the Devonshire Park Theatre (31 January-4 February) followed by Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre (14-18 February); Leicester’s Curve (28 March-1 April); Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (3-8 April); Cheltenham Everyman Theatre (11-15 April); York Theatre Royal (18-22 April); Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre For The Arts (1-6 May); Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre (9-13 May); Nottingham Playhouse (16-20 May) and the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells (23-27 May).
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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