Music in the shadow of Aids

A ground-breaking show of its time, RENT! The Musical has become a cult classic. Featuring a group of young bohemian artists dealing with relationships and friendships in New York’s East Village, living in the shadow of Aids and HIV, it was written by Jonathan Larson.

It took him seven years to write and tragically he died the night before the show’s first off-broadway performance in 1996, so did not live to see its success.

Inspired by Puccini’s opera, La Boheme, it ran on Broadway for 12 years and won four Tony Awards, six Drama Desk awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1996. It then premiered in London’s West End in 1998 at the Shaftesbury Theatre, where it ran for 18 months. It was also adapted into a film in 2005. It looks at the group’s struggle to maintain friendships and their non-conformist ideals while making personal self-discoveries about what really matters in life.

It also features show-stopping numbers including Seasons of Love, Take Me or Leave Me and One Song. Under the direction of Bruce Guthrie, the show’s cast includes Lucie Jones, who performed this year’s UK Eurovision entry.

The show finishes its national tour at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, running until Saturday, May 27. Tickets cost from £15. To book visit assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk or call 01892 530613.