I here the non-professional premiere of RENT opens next week at the Bridewell Theatre. The company is SEDOS www.sedos.co.uk

I've never seen one of their shows. Does anyone know anything about them????

Is anyone going to see this?

Ah, I recognise one of the cast from university.

There are an awful lot of amateur shows on over the next few weeks that I have promised to support - and not least my own society's show next week! I'll be trying to see this, if I can fit it in, but I've already promised to see two other shows in the week of the 17th.

I'm hping to see it. I've met some of the cast and William Hazell - playing Mark I think - is hot! And I reckon he'll be great in the role. Plus, nothing can be worse than DVO spreading her legs whilst seducing an embarrased girl in the audience during Rent Remixed last year. Even an amateur premiere will be better than that!

I just checked to make sure, and thankfully this is not the RENT remixed version, it is the original.

I'm definitely going to see it.

It will be very interesting to see how it is done by an amateur company, but the reviews from their previous productions have been really good, I'm really looking forward to it now.

The cast and crew are all huge fans of the show! The band sounds fantastic bringing RENT back to the traditional sounds of the show - none of the Remixed crap! It's back to being the way it was meant to be in a backstreet theatre that seats about 120 people - fantastic!

Went to see it on Saturday, well lets just say, if this is amateur give it to me anyday. The show was great and there was a fantastic spontaneous standing ovation on Saturday night.

The whole cast were amazing. This is only for the rest of the week so if you want to see a top notch show, go and see this one.

Let's just say, they put some professional shows to shame.

And who do you play in the show?

JOKE, I've just got tickets for Saturday and am looking forward.

And so have I - I'm heading in for the matinee.

It was really, really well sung, and musically top-notch, especially by Mimi and Tom Collins. The staging was very interestingly laid-out too. There was, perhaps, just a touch of coarseness about the hunched-over homeless chorus members hobblng up and down in the background... But it was well worth the trip up to town.

Also at the matinee...

I enjoyed it for what it was. However what on earth was going on with Tom Collins character??? Who decided it was a good idea to let him mince around that stage more so than Angel? Also the first act scenes with Angel had me hoping both of them would have early death scenes. That said when Contact and I'll Cover You arrived in Act II it was more like it. Plus Collins was vocally fierce in that Reprise.

Roger... ummmm they cast a pretty looking guy who was clearly uncomfortable with his body language and had nowhere near the rock tenor required for the part. It was as if he had a boy band voice and decided to shout his numbers. This made most of his big songs rather painful.

Loved Mimi, Joanne, Maureen and absolutely loved Mark. All very stand out. The soloist in "Will I" was rather good too. La Vie Boheme was terrific and I just lit up watching it. Not so sure about the staging of the title number.

Oh and Benny... rather good looking but again was not too sure.

Anyway it was a great to see Rent in a proper small theatre with a cast who clearly loved the material and did it justice.

Yes, did you notice what looked like a 6 year old girl and an 8 year old girl (probably relations of the cast) in the front row? I'm just wondering what all those references to, er, chaps getting friendly with chaps, ladies getting friendly with ladies and persons getting friendly with themselves would have done to their developing minds.

You're right, Collins was a lot camper than the original, and I'd say he and Roger were the ones that weren't quite so comfortable with being onstage in character/presenting themselves. You know what I mean. Roger was probably cast as he could play the guitar, but I wouldn't have called any of his songs painful! After having been to support quite a few amateur shows recently, I can say they were very strong vocally. It's strange the different opinions people can have after the same performances.

I agree La Vie Boheme was brilliant. It was one of those times when you could look at any ensemble member and see what their characters were and how they related to each other, while still being full of life etc.

"Oh and Benny... rather good looking but again was not too sure." I'm sure Geoff would be delighted with the first part of that sentence!

I thought there was some brilliant stand out performances, namely Mark and Joanne, they wouldn't have been out of place on a westend stage, she certainly put the girl to shame who played it in 'Rent Remixed!' and collins - perhaps not the conventional way it's played - delivered 'I'll cover you (reprise)' beautifully, it certainly moved me. What it did prove to me though was how incredibly difficult the show is to pull off, I shudder to think of some of the awful productions that are going to be staged up and down the country over the next year or so.

I was at the matinee too, and thought it was very good overall.

A few niggles - the sound mix was disappointing in some numbers when the band completely overpowered the vocals, but that seemed to be ironed out soon enough. I thought the chap playing Benny was the weakest of the main performers - he wasn't terrible, but just average in an otherwise very strong cast. Oh and being at the back of the theatre, I couldn't see the performers' faces when they stood up 'upstairs' with the lights in the way.

Joanne and Collins were both vocally exceptional - I had chills during I'll Cover You (Reprise) and I'm pretty much dead inside so that was a big deal. And Joanne was superb in Take Me Or Leave Me.

Mark, Roger and Mimi were all very good although Mimi was lacking something in Act II - Without You wasn't anywhere near as effective as it could have been. I enjoyed Roger. He seemed to spend a lot of singing time clenching his fists or grabbing his jumper but I liked his voice and thought he suited the role well. Although I thought he was pretending to play the guitar...??

I wasn't at all impressed by the soloists in Seasons of Love and would have MUCH preferred to hear Joanne and Collins do it as in the movie. A missed opportunity there, as it could have been an absolute showstopper.

8/10 overall, and well done to the company!

Hi There!
thank-you for those of you who came to see the show!! We all loved doing it and are very sad its all over!
xx

I have to say I thought it was bloody awful.

Sorry but the whole message was lost amid countless self indulgant performances - very disappointed.