Rent at The Redgrave Theatre in Bristol review
Posted on: 2015-10-14
Our rating:
Relevant, significant & still provocative; with its swirling rhythm, powerfully moving lyrics and witty dialogue Rent is a delight to watch and has been marvellously brought to life by BMYP who add their own distinct flavour to this fabulous musical.
Opening off-Broadway in January 1996 Rent received a storm of attention, garnering awards and critical acclaim for its gritty, contemporary tale of life in modern day America. October 2015 sees Bristol Musical Youth Productions (BMYP) take on the task of staging this smash hit musical - and as always their fine cast of talented local youngsters has delivered a truly memorable performance, full of passion, poignancy and pizzazz.
With music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, Rent is a rock opera loosely based on Puccini’s La Boheme. It tells the story of a small group of friends; young impoverished artists struggling to survive in New York’s East Village. This was the life Larson was familiar with and he took his inspiration from the people he lived amongst; the struggling actors, AIDS sufferers, homeless people, homosexuals and artisans who called the East Village their home.
***Pre theatre dining in Clifton at Souk Kitchen, Apsley Road, BS8 2SW ***
Central to this tale are Roger, an HIV-infected composer driven by the need to write that one career defining song before he dies and his housemate Mark, a filmmaker documenting every aspect of their lives and those of their friends in a quest to create a cinematic masterpiece. Squatting in a building owned by Benny, a former classmate, the tale opens with him demanding a year’s worth of back rent, hereby giving the show its name and beginning a powerful story into the depths of these characters. The show follows them over 12 months and chronicles their journey in what for them is a tough world. This is a narrative all about taking risks, living life on the edge (of reason and society), testing boundaries and seeing just how far you can push yourself.
Challenging boundaries is something that was on display throughout this startlingly mature and compelling production. Director Vicki Klein gets the very best from her cast who demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm throughout, with the initial energy generated never dissipating. Staged beautifully to house the large song and dance numbers the set is vibrant and conveys the late 1980s timeframe perfectly. The players never lose sight of the story they are telling and do an admirable job of expressing the despair and desolation of these bright young things living their lives under a shadow of heartbreak, poverty and disease.
Ollie Battersby brings a charming energy to the role of Roger, and Chris Selwyn makes for a strong and interesting Mark. They shares the stage with a marvellous and engaging main cast, not least Eilish Convery as a manic, fantastic Maureen and Gully Whitby who is a revelation as transvestite character Angel; a real hit with the audience who celebrated his every appearance. Each actor brings depth to their intense performances and they are truly sensational when coming together in the larger choral numbers. They provide glorious renditions of such show-stopping numbers as ‘Rent’; the gutsy and dramatic ‘Out Tonight’; the fun and quirky ‘Over the Moon’ and the touchingly emotional ‘Seasons of Love’.
Now celebrating its twentieth anniversary Rent remains an insightful window to the world in which we live. Seen at its conception as ground-breaking and very much anti-establishment in ethos, some of this has been lost as society has adapted and many of the issues addressed are now common place. Yet in a modern world where the taboos of 20 years ago are very much accepted moments for thought remain, possibly even more telling with today’s reality TV obsession is the lyric ‘How do you document real life when real life’s getting more like fiction each day?’
Relevant, significant and still provocative; with its swirling rhythm, powerfully moving lyrics and witty dialogue Rent is a delight to watch and has been marvellously brought to life by BMYP who add their own distinct flavour to this fabulous musical.
Showing at Bristol’s Redgrave Theatre until 17th October, this is a production that is well worth seeing. Tickets available from 07966 432 420 or visit www.bmyp.com.
4.5/5
Reviewed by Sarah-Jane Howard for The Bristol Website
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
