Reader Reviews
Rent (Greenwich Theatre, Outer London)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Following Ragtime in the park I can now tick Rent off my list of must-see musicals and this production offered the advantage of a Sunday in Greenwich before the show at a very civilised 6.oo pm. There is a huge cast of 28 which makes for some really impresive ensemble numbers, made up of some reasonably well known names such as Steph Fearon and Zoe Birkett, but many others with very little professional experience but they are not short on talent. As it is based on a Puccini opera Jonathan Larson's remarkable musical contains more than it's fair share of tragedy and misery and I would agree with the WoS reviewer that this sense of desperation is not fully conveyed - everybody seems far too cheerul. Some elements of the story are also submerged and anyone who has not seen it before or who is not familiar with the CD or film would struggle to work out what is going on with the protests against a landlord who seems to fluctuate with each appearance. However that was not an insurmountable problem amongst a fantastically enthusiastic crowd of Rent-heads and friends of the cast, plus the actor who played Mark in the film which caused much excitement at the interval. My problems lie with the direction of Paul Taylor-Mills but there are no complaints about a terrific ensemble who do their utmost with such a vast range of characters and do full justice to Larson's incredible score which is infinitely better live than on CD. Some qualifications but nevertheless a great evening. - David Baxter | 17 Sep 12 |
| So the production looked far better than recent incarnations of the show. But the actors / singers ranged from a couple of good voices (Steph Fearon as Mimi, Benjamin Stratton as Mark) to the downright bland / miscast (Mikel Sylvanus as Collins) And diction people! This was a small venue and we couldn't always hear or understand you. I too saw both original Broadway and West End productions and knowledge of those productions proved both a blessing (sometimes to know what the hell was going on) and a curse (this production does not bear comparison). Really, some very odd directorial choices. In 'Out Tonight' we need to be able to see Mimi - and we don't need the distraction of other dancers. Overall, I was left unconvinced and unmoved. The best thing I can say is that it was far superior to the truly awful William Baker production at the Duke of York a few years back and Zoe Birkett as Maureen was the best I'd ever seen the role in 'Over The Moon' and 'Tango Maureen'. - Steven Durham | 17 Sep 12 |
| bollocks to the negativity above. It was a brilliant production and I totally enjoyed myself. - Tyron Woolfe | 17 Sep 12 |
| I saw the show yesterday and can still picture it vividly in my mind. I was amazed by the the quality of the performance and sitting close to the stage definitely enhanced the whole experience. I agree that the vocals could not be heard as clearly as I would have liked but by no fault of the singers themselves who were exemplary (except for maybe Roger) but because of bad sound tech. While some people say that the ensemble were distracting I felt the large cast meant everyone had someone to relate to and fully added to the performance. If you're looking for a perfectly polished show, then RENT was never for you in the first place. But to the true RENTHEADS out there, please, please make it to this show, if you don't you'll regret it. - Izzy P | 16 Sep 12 |
| saw the show last night, enjoyed it but .... and the buts have so succinctly been put by this review - Angel stands out for certain - Roger Collins | 13 Sep 12 |
| It seems I was watching a very different production to one some of the commenters below have been watching. The production value of this musical was second to none, how someone can call it 'low-budget' I will never know. The performances were vivid, real and whilst the costumes were colourful, one must remember that we are watching a musical about celebrating life, not lets all have a moan! There's no denying that the subject material is heavy but this team handle it with sensitivity and style. Hats off...As many have already said...I look forward to seeing it on a the West End which must be on the cards...??? - Helen B | 11 Sep 12 |
| Having seen the original production on Broadway and in the West End, I was looking forward to this revival (all be it a low budget production). I very rarely feel the need to leave at the interval...but I did here. On reflection, this is unfortunately nowhere near the standard of the original production I saw. The direction is clearly lacking - you can tell the performers are at odds with the material, and the staging is so dull. Sorry - entirely my observations only, but this is not even entertaining. - MattDVZ | 10 Sep 12 |
| Us Brits really haven’t had much luck with getting Rent right yet. I suspect the Greenwich production is the most successful yet, this side of the pond. An enjoyable evening with some incredible voices!" BargainTheatreland - BargainTheatreland | 10 Sep 12 |
| Completely disaagree with the above. Touching production performed by a very talented team. I think the standing ovation by the whole audience at the end of the production spoke for itself. - Richard Nunn | 10 Sep 12 |
| agree with the above! distracting and insincere. Lots didn't make sense to first time viewers. It relies heavily on people 'knowing' the show as you can hardly here the vocals over the band. - Peter | 10 Sep 12 |
| Totally agree, although I didn't find the vocals to be that great either from most of the cast. Roger is awful! The annoying ensemble were terrible and very distracting. Also some very bad direction choices. Without You had a stage crowded of people and Angel/Collins had no interaction and were hidden. So my friend (who had never seen the show before) was left wondering what happened to Angel as you don't see him get sick and dying! - Steve | 10 Sep 12 |
