I have problems with Rent. My issues are much the same as most of the people who have spoken out against the musical juggernaut. It is meant to be a view onto the AIDs crisis in the 90s, but the struggles of the HIV-positive characters are marginalised to make room for the petty travails of spoiled rich kids. Anyone who exercises a modicum of financial responsibility is depicted as a cartoonishly evil sell-out. Characters who are emotionally manipulative are framed as spirited and cooky. The concept of ‘art’ in a story about artists seems to be devoid of any effort, graft, discipline or worth. Same old, same old. Like all critical backlashes, these criticisms do not reflect the undiminished popularity of the show, nor quite account for seeing the spectacle live.

My prior exposure to Rent is completely based on the flaccid film version. A lot was lost in the transition from stage to screen and now I have an appreciation of that. The elaborate and versatile set (naturally absent in the film) requires rigorous blocking and choreography to be navigated. Clever shifts in lighting and use of stage space do a very good job of moving the location without rearranging the set. And let’s not leave out the appropriate sense of awe that the huge and busy set inspires for a proudly BIG musical. Cheltenham has a shallow but tall stage and I can well imagine that other venues on this tour will not be employing such a degree of verticality.

The logistics of that set make for some challenging feats for the cast. Layton Williams as Angel and Philippa Stefani as Mimi have to give very impressive acrobatic performances. The cast is solid across the board though these two appear to have to work and sweat a lot more for their parts than their counterparts as they backflip and clamber over the set, respectively. That’s not to besmirch the efforts of the others. My personal favourite display was the ‘Tango Maureen’ by Billy Cullum and Shanay Holmes.

Contemporary relevance to the AIDs crisis aside, the reputation and legacy of Rent is based on its music. What’s most interesting about these tunes is that they straddle the anthem-quality of classic show tunes whilst being inflected by a considerably more modern sensibility. Sure, this fusion of new and old styles is par for the course now from Broadway and West End musicals – good ones at least – but this is one of the first and it still holds up. The major danger in a musical like this is that the density of dialogue and lyrics can leave details garbled. Thankfully the cast knows how to enunciate and does the work credit.

I do still have issues with some of the unintentionally muddled and crass characters, themes and plot points. On the other hand, if any musical was going to bowl you over with the enthusiasm and talent it can bring to bear to the point of overlooking these, it is Rent. I’m happy to say that this production managed it.    ★★★★☆   Fenton Coulthurst   12^th April 2017