Hello shoppers. Full disclosure – I absolutely hate Rent as a show. I find it depressing, annoying and irritating. The majority of the characters in it are unlikeable and toxic. The cultish fandom (known collectively as “rent heads”) are alternative, wear a lot of black and are generally combination obsessive and depressive. The subject matter is a poor rewrite of Puccini’s classic 1896 opera La Boheme and weaves in themes of addiction, the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, homelessness…. If you think this sounds like a long hard slog of a night at the theatre then you would be 100% correct.
Walking up the stairs of the Sydney Opera House to the Joan Sutherland Theatre this weekend to see the current Australian production I was filled with dread (and jet lag having gotten off an international flight 5 hours prior). However, after having resisted ever seeing a production of Rent, I was pleasantly surprised, entertained, gob smacked and yes shoppers, even moved to the odd tear or two.
Rent tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Lower Manhattan’s East Village in the artistic and creatively thriving days of the bohemian culture of Alphabet City under the shadow of AIDS. It was written by bona fide theatrical genius Jonathan Larson who died from an aortic dissection the night before it opened off broadway in 1996 and went on to win 3 Tony Awards that year. (For more about Larson do yourself a favour and watch Andrew Garfield’s stunning performance as the creative in the movie version of Tick Tick Boom.
The performances in this production are outstanding. Stealing the show for me was Jesse Dutlow as drag performer Angel. The character of Angel is really the heart of Rent and Dutlow is mesmerising delivering both authenticity and pathos. Seen recently in their breakout role as May in & Juliet, their death scene is incredibly powerful and the pain is visceral. Googoorewon Knox’s Collins is the perfect foil for Angel and the chemistry they have on stage is palpable.
The character I dislike the most is Maureen – and that may very well be a trauma reaction to the character’s originator Idina Menzel who I maintain is the most over-rated broadway singer / actor in history – there is a very long story there which I won’t go into here. However, Calista Nelmes’ Maureen does exactly what she is supposed to do. She is uncomfortable to watch and in doing so pushes the audience out of their comfort zone and challenges them almost aggressively. Her vocals are sublime and we get stratospheric belts in Take Me As I Am which had last night’s audience giving rapturous applause.
Tana Laga’aia, most recently seen as Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar is perfectly cast as “villain” Benny. Kristin Paulse’s Mimi is heartbreaking in her addiction whilst Harry Targett’s Roger is stoic yet flawed. Imani Williams’ Joanne is excellent with fantastic vocals and Henry Rollo’s “everyman” character Mark is an absolute delight to watch on stage. Playing what is essentially Larson’s voice in the show, his delivery of both dialogue and songs is flawless and while Angel may be the heart of the show, Roger is its anchor and solidly grounds it.
This production had me in tears several times and the use of a film montage of AIDS activism in New York at the peak of the epidemic was devastating and gut wrenching, wringing every ounce of emotion out of the audience,.
The striking thing about this Rent are its production values. Slick and professional, it packs a heavy theatrical and emotional punch and although slightly out of place with the subject matter, this is Rent with money. And this is where lies my main criticism. Rent should be a little crusty and rough around the edges and this production is not. Dann Barber’s versatile set with its multiple moving platforms and Paul Jackson’s stark lighting – which at times is deliberately focussed directly into the audience (temporarily blinding us) help tell the story but are a little too good and polished.
Kudos to costume designer Ella Butler who nails the Rent aesthetic – and does some particularly interesting and visually striking work with Maureen and Angel’s respective wardrobes. Luca Dinardo’s choreography is sharp and tight with the cast nailing the tricky movement with precision while Jack Earle’s musical direction is spot on – allowing the cast soaring vocals, fraught with emotion and lots of star turn belts (especially in Seasons of Love, Without Yiou, Over the Moon and La Vie Boheme.
This is a very good production of Rent. Despite my issues with the actual show (not this production) the cast and creatives are powerhouses and deliver a highly polished, professional interpretation of a musical that has a cult-like following. Diehard “Rent heads” will fall in love with the show all over again and the rest of us will get to experience another excellent showing for Australian musical theatre.
Jonathan Larson’s Rent is directed by Shaun Rennie and produced by LPD Productions and Opera Australia and plays the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House through 1 November 2025 with a special sing-along performance on 23 October
In his past lives, Damien was a drag queen and musical theatre actor. He made his stage debut as a fat cow in a school production of Joseph in 1984. He holds a BA with a major in drama from the University of Newcastle. He is completely obsessed with musical theatre – especially Broadway divas.
Since relocating to Sydney at the beginning of 2024, he attends every musical he can get to and lives with his partner and grumpy 12-year-old poodle.
His claim to fame is that he once met Patti Lupone in New York and she was nice to him.