RENT

Winning the ‘Youth Production of The Year‘ 2023 Eagle Award (alongside Belper Juniors)

Directed by Katy Maclaughlin
Choreography by Shannon O’Donnell
Musical Direction by Sam Hedley

Led by Ben Hale, Max Henshaw, Amelie Turner, Max Fuller, Bailey West, Jake Lightbown, Orlagh McAleese & Savannah Pinto

Based on Puccini’s beloved opera La Bohème, Rent follows the ups and downs of a year in the life of a group of impoverished, artistic friends living in Manhattan’s East Village.

Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, struggles to find his place in the world; his roommate Roger, an HIV-positive musician, wonders how he will leave his mark before he dies. Mimi and Angel look for true love as they face the harsh reality of life as HIV-positive young people, while the businesslike Joanne seeks fidelity from her wild-child performance artist girlfriend Maureen.

The group’s dreams, losses, and love stories weave through the musical’s narration to paint a stunningly raw and emotional portrait of the gritty bohemian world of New York City in the late 1980s, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.