Rent continues until at the Frogmore Papermill, Apsley until 21 July 2018.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The superb immersive location of the Frogmore Papermill takes the audience on a journey of love, sorrow and excitement by transporting you to the downtown slums of New York in Jonathan Larson’s 1996 Tony Award-winning musical Rent (based on Puccini’s La Boheme). The scaffold and vaults within the venue offer a dingy atmosphere and allows the audience to engage with the drama from all angles.
We first are taken to the apartment of Roger and Mark, aspiring yet struggling artists. Connor Dyer portrays Mark as quirky, likeable and confident, the central figure who brings the friendship group together.
The rest of the gang is made up of Collins, Mimi, Angel, Maureen and Benny who all come with ‘baggage’. Soon the characters are literally rubbing shoulders with those who have come to watch. This adds another dimension as you feel part of their lives.
The cast really does a spectacular job in making you feel as though you are in New York as the narrative moves from one scene to another. One begins to have a conversation with me about the awful service in the bar and I can’t help but join in as if this is completely normal!
Rubbing shoulders with the cast creates an intense heartbreak as we discover HIV/AIDS is such a prominent part of the story. The death of Angel and Mimi’s illness brings a poignancy to the proceeding. These parts of Vivo D’Arte’s production are unforgettable.
The fabulous vocals from the performers bring shivers. Mimi (Lizzie Emery) is a sassy but troubled young girl who is longing to be loved. The rendition of ‘Light My Candle’, sung with Roger (Aran Macrae) is just exceptional.
Angel and Collins’ relationship is simply pure. Their duo ‘I’ll Cover You’ is beautiful and makes the heartbreak of Angel’s death so much more heartbreaking.
Casey Bird takes on the role of Maureen and is extraordinary. Her duet with the more reserved Joanne (Natalie Winsor), ‘Take Me or Leave Me’, is not a disappointment.
Although the surroundings are old, the sound, lighting and use of live video are particularly powerful and contemporary. Angel’s illness and death is shown through live video and hits a nerve.
Since watching, I have urged friends and family members to get up and go and see this production, directed by Dan Cowtan. I am unable to put into words how fabulous it is and, although it comes with an element of sadness, it simply takes your breath away.
Molly Kerrigan
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