“Natural performers take their own initiative”: Review of MTW’s RENT

RENT is the 1996 Tony Award Winner of Best Musical based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème. Its rock soundtrack has been a pinnacle of musical theatre history for over two decades, supported by its ethnically diverse principle cast and its portrayal of budding artists during the HIV/AIDS crisis. It deals with love, loss, faith and hopelessness in equal measures. Musical Theatre Warwick’s choice to perform such an iconic musical was a huge undertaking.

My first thought upon walking in was that the set is utterly stunning. The iconic scaffolding was a classically beautiful yet simple homage to the traditional set used in many RENT productions. Additionally, the set design is a testament to MTW’s ability to adapt to their new performance space in The Goose Nest. What was strange, however, was the lack of utilisation of such a captivating set. Due to what may have been lacklustre direction most of the show took place on the lower floor, leaving the artistically crafted scaffolding unused in the background. Direction continued to take an unusual turn as the majority of scenes were delivered with little movement or dimension. Actors were often left standing still in awkwardly formed lines or huddled in corners of the stage, making the performance inaccessible to much of the audience.

Musical Theatre Warwick’s choice to perform such an iconic musical was a huge undertaking

Some actors did shine through, particularly Sam Cochrane who played the lead role of Mark. His delivery was an emotional display that was a carbon copy of Anthony Rapp, the original Mark in RENT’s first Broadway run and the 2005 movie adaptation. Cochrane’s accent was consistent, his vocal range made the role seem effortless and his acting was spot-on, making him thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

Many of those playing alongside Cochrane, whilst vocally adequate, often came across as wooden and monotonous, perhaps due to lack of direction. In particular, the moments between the on-stage couples, performed through pieces of music that were designed to convey some of the most tender and loving moments possible between two people, often seemed deeply uncomfortable and lacking. For example, I’ll Cover You – a tenderly romantic song between Angel and Collins – was reduced to very little in this particular performance as the pair lacked chemistry and subsequently seemed uneasy. Though the bass register of AJ Loftus (Collins) was lovely to listen to, his tone lacked the smooth coolness for Collins’ numbers and his stiff movements suggest he may be better suited for opera productions rather than musical theatre.

Direction continued to take an unusual turn as the majority of scenes were delivered with little movement or dimension

One pairing, however, was rather addictive to watch – Maureen and Joanne were played superbly by Hayley Simpson and Sophia Lyons respectively. In case you aren’t familiar with RENT, the musical number Over the Moon is one of the weirdest, most bizarre and vocally demanding songs you’ll find: Maureen uses a bell and a metaphorical cow to explain the battle between artists and businessmen in Manhattan, in an explosion of avant-garde comedy. It’s an intimidating number, but Simpson made it look easy. Further, she gave an excellent performance when belting out the high notes in Take me or Leave Me alongside Lyons who was equally captivating. Though this was one of the more dynamic numbers, it was a shame once again not to see them maximise their use of space in the stunning set, perhaps due to scarce direction.

The ensemble definitely deserves a mention. At several points, a group of ensemble members dressed as the down-trodden homeless gather to sing Christmas Bells, a bitter and comic carol about the cold misery of Christmas. The choral parts were performed with pitch-perfect precision and with excellent comedic timing. Towards the end of the show the audience began to giggle as we saw them coming, before they would even started singing.

The entire musical was brilliantly performed by only five musicians

Sadly, however, though the keen eye could see that there were many capable dancers in the ensemble, the choreography was nearly non-existent. Many ensemble numbers involved a lot of running (once again, not using the gorgeous space they had to use) but very little dancing. The best choreography displayed in this show was at the beginning of the iconic number La Vie Bohème, which you’ll notice is the exact same choreography from the same number in the movie.

My final mention is reserved for the band – the entire musical was brilliantly performed by only five musicians, much smaller than MTW’s usual orchestra sizes but no less spectacular – my sincerest compliments go out to Tom Slade (Musical Director/Keys), James Parker (Guitar 1), Ross Kelly (Guitar 2), Andrew Klein (Bass) and Adam Finchett (Drums).

To conclude, MTW’s RENT has some bright stars in it and should be viewed to see natural performers take their own initiative to bring Larsson’s characters to life.