Review: CHMS’ Rent

"How we gonna pay this year's rent" is a common question that York students find themselves asking and Central Hall Musical Society's production of Rent offers a wonderful exploration of themes of money, power and love.

The play's plot follows a group of artists living in poverty during New York's AIDs epidemic.

It follows Mark (Mark Ellis) and Roger (Alex Timotheu) struggling in their respective careers as a film-maker and musician, while trying to pay their former friend and landlord Benny (James Smith) last year's rent exploring the corrupting power of capital and the reasons behind why people pursue their careers.

The musical also represents the heart-breaking ways in which the AIDs epidemic affected those who were marginalised by society, showing how the disease affected relationships such as those between Roger and Mimi (Anna Gallon) and between Tom (Matt Gallis) and Angel (Niall Collingwood).

In addition, Rent explores the powerful force of love and how it can help people overcome adversity even in the most trying times as seen in the relationship between Maureen (Freya Hope) and Joanne (Lucy Johnson) while also representing how the LGBT+ community was marginalised at the turn of the millennium.

The production is performed in the John Cooper Studio allowing for a more intimate theatre experience than at a bigger venue, particularly during Maureen's (Freya Hope) performance of "Over the Moon."

With a hugely talented cast, CHMS' production of Rent is definitely worth you heading "Out Tonight" as it's one of the best things that "You'll See" in York this term.

Tickets are on sale here and are just £6.50 for students. They are selling quickly, so don't wait "Another Day."

The cast should be "Over The Moon" with themselves.

Final score: 4 Stars

Featured Image Credit: Katherine Johnston