Rent (schools edition) by Jonathan Larson

in association with Showdown Theatre Arts and Baltimore High School

Wednesday 31st May and Thursday 1st June at 7.30

Tickets: adults £10, children/students /seniors £9

Rent is a rock musical loosely based on Puccini’s opera La Boheme It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New Yorks East Village in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.

On Broadway, Rent gained critical acclaim and won a Tony Award for Best Musical among other awards. The Broadway production closed on September 7, 2008 after a 12-year run of 5,123 performances. The success of the show led to several national tours and numerous foreign productions. In 2005, it was adapted into a film featuring most of the original cast members.

Rent School Edition is exuberant, passionate and joyous. This adaptation has been carefully done, working with the Larson estate to retain the dramatic intent of the groundbreaking rock musical, and consists of minimal changes to language and the removal of one song (“Contact”) to make it possible for many young people to perform this piece.

About Showdown

Showdown Theatre Arts is a part time theatre school based across Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex for young people.