Rent

Rent is a musical by Jonathan Larson. A Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical,

The original text

Loosely based on Puccini's opera La Bohème it deals with a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life for themselves in New York City's East Village in the '90s and living in the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The play previewed in a workshop production at New York's Theatre Workshop in 1993, and opened at the Nederlander Theatre in 1996, with international spin-off productions. A 2005 movie version based on it stars Taye Diggs and many members of the original cast.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

2007-8: First produced by Hazel Feldman and directed by American Amy Hensberry at the refurbished Alexander Theatre and at Artscape. Jill Somers was the choreographer and company manager and musical director was Bryan Schimmel.

2018: Produced by the Port Elizabeth Musical and Dramatic Society (Pemads), in association with Platform Productions, and performed in the Little Theatre Port Elizabeth, from May 16 to June 2. Directed by Robin Williams, musical direction by Petrus Meyer with a cast including Jaydee Mulder, Philip Cowie, Cailan van Heerden, Nkodsinath Rodriques, Litha Hewitt-Coleman, Zena Bally, Kasvia von Memerty and Arthur Daniels.