The iconic ‘Rent’ traverses emotions, hitting hard one moment and letting loose the next.
It’s a chaotic, beautiful show with a cast that is easy to love – Noah Mullins’ Mark is at the centre, and his charisma and energy is carried throughout the performance.
Carl De Villa’s Angel captivates and entertains, as do the spellbinding vocals of Martha Berhane as Mimi and the Renee Rapp-esque interpretation of Maureen by Calista Nelmes, who totally steals the show with ‘Over The Moon’ – a performance art moment that I genuinely could’ve watched for another hour, unironically.
A particularly moving moment that seems to have the audience frozen is ‘Will I’. . . A simple song with straightforward lyrics, repeated over and over with building harmonies and instrumentation to drive its point home. The overlapping vocals and strong messaging hit interestingly hard for this reviewer.
Image © Pia Johnson Photography
Other musical stand-outs are the scene-setting, toe-tapping titular track ‘Rent’ which gives the ensemble and lead cast the opportunity to come together in full force and showcase their power. Then there’s ‘Take Me Or Leave Me’, the charged, sassy confrontation between Maureen, and Thndo’s Joanne. Their chemistry and interactions are convincing and delightful to watch.
From those iconic piano notes at the beginning of ‘Seasons Of Love’, you know you’re in for a treat. This rendition is fabulous, and the song always brings a tear to my eye. The voices of this cast suit the track perfectly, giving it the right amount of hope, reflection, and emotion.
Image © Pia Johnson Photography
Themes of sexuality and the shadow of HIV/AIDS run like a river through the show, and are touched on with great delicacy in lyrics and in dialogue. It’s a beautifully-written show that provides a tiny but informative insight into the queer community of the era.
‘Rent’ is a staple in the world of musical theatre – the story of playwright Jonathan Larson’s untimely death the night before its opening has echoed through the industry for decades. Its treatment of the issues of the time is beautiful, and this Australian cast does its job in filling the shoes of the characters with great panache.
★★★★☆
