29/08/2026
Last night Theatre Bean was invited to Nottingham's Squire Performing Arts Center for Spotlight’s performance of Rent and what a show it was, Wow! Rent was actually the first show I’d ever performed in so it’s always had a special place in my heart and it was lovely seeing it done by people who knew what they were doing.
It’s the story of a group of bohemian artists living in New York’s alphabet city during the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s as they struggle to survive, create and find love under the spectre of illness and poverty.
The story centers on Mark Cohen (David Page), an aspiring filmmaker who is documenting the lives of his friends after being left by his girlfriend Maureen (Eliza Hill) for the activist lawyer Joanne (Laura McChrystal). Mark shares an illegal industrial loft with his roommate Rodger Davis (Vivialyn Joynson), a former rock star who is HIV positive and grieving the loss of his girlfriend. Trying to write one last meaningful song before the virus takes him. He finds a spark of hope when he meets Mimi Marquez (Erin Hanby) his neighbour who's also struggling with HIV and addiction. Tom Collins (Patrick McChrystal) the vagabond genius expelled from MIT is the last of the starting line up getting mugged and beaten during the first number he is rescued and bandaged by the street musician and drag queen Angel Dumott Schunard (Lu Anthony). The two quickly bond over their shared afflictions, both also being positive for HIV.
This is a beast of a show to perform, full of intricate harmonies and overlapping dialogue set to an energetic and constantly shifting musical score. It’s one of those productions where there is no room to hide, everything needs to be on point or you will stick out. I still have nightmares over Christmas Bells and all I had to do was walk along the front of the stage. This company, they had the gall to add ballet to the number. Of course no review of Rent can happen without remembering the late great Johnathon Larson, creator of the show, who sadly passed away a few hours before the first ever preview hit off Broadway in 1996. He never got to see just how much impact this show would have on the world of theatre, he died giving a voice to people who were shunned and treated as lesser because of a disease completely out of their control, showing that a community exists for them, and that living is possible. You can see the respect that the director Liam Petruccio-Hall has for this show, it’s legacy and the weight of what it represents.
The staging was impeccable throughout, the use of verticality in the set was very well done with something interesting to look at every scene. The use of smoke was very effective, making characters appearing in the background of solos almost ghost-like, as if the main characters are haunted by them. I want to give a specific shout out to how One Song Glory looked. There is a scene in the 2010 movie Scott Pilgrim Vs the World where he’s in a literal battle of the bands with these Djs and it’s represented as these spectral animals above them. The smoke coming from behind Rodger in One Song Glory gave a similar feeling to that. It looked shaped and the way it was lit by the overhead spotlight was almost like his spirit projecting out of him to find his song. If it was planned it was an incredible bit of well executed stage magic. Of course that spotlight being a blessing in some scenes was also a bit of a curse in others due to the brightness of it. During the act 1 finale for example Rodger and Mimi were called out but not actually visible because they were on top of the scaffolding which was blocked by a wall of light shining on Angel.
The choreography of the show was excellently performed by the incredibly talented ensemble backing up the show. The routines were quite intricate in places so it was very impressive to see them manage that while also remembering words, harmonies and whatever else was happening. The movement was incredibly smooth throughout, in some numbers this looked absolutely gorgeous. The backing in I should tell you being a particular highlight. However that smoothness did look out of place in some of the more jerkier numbers like the opening Rent. The act 2 opener Seasons of Love was an utter standout performed beautifully. I love this song because it takes the big singing parts away from the named parts and gives them to members of the ensemble you don’t really pick out and showcases their voices. In this show the parts are done by Emily Holder and Brogan Haynes who were absolute powerhouses in the parts. Extremely well done to them and to everyone in the ensemble, like I said earlier this is a show that you can’t hide in and everyone truly gave it their all.
Laura was brilliant as the grounded and sensible Joanne who plays as the straight member of the duo to the arguably mental Maurine. She was able to perfectly bounce off Eliza in take me for what I am, while also stealing the stage in Tango Maurine. As for Maurine, Over the Moon looked like a performance which is the highest honour with that song as those of you familiar with Rent will know that it can very easily look like someone having a breakdown on stage. Eliza was able to flow seamlessly between the singing, the chanting, the monologues, the crowd work, all coming together into an authentic protest number.
Laura Thurman played Jennifer Coffin III, or Jenny, a previous member of the loft group who married into wealth and bought the building. A masterclass in playing a foil. I was fully convinced by her points in You’ll see, they sounded very reasonable apart from the eviction thing. Hopefully Laura doesn’t do the show Cabaret any time soon because I worry where her rendition of tomorrow belongs to me will lead me.
David played the perfect awkward workaholic documentation, balancing that always on presenter mode with a man struggling with the very real weight of knowing that he’s going to be the last one of them still standing. Both vocals and movements were brilliant throughout but it was Halloween where he truly had the chance to shine.
Erin was fantastic as Mimi, playing into that seductive playfulness of the character but the most stand out parts of her performance comes in act 2 which I really don’t want to talk about, partly because some things are better to watch blind, but also because the wounds of it still haven’t healed. What I will say is her solo song Out Tonight was very well done and the chemistry with Rodger in light my candle was excellent.
Vivialyn played Rodger to absolute perfection. There was a real feeling of a rockstar running out of time. One Song Glory was sung beautifully and Your Eyes was performed with a sense of calm desperation that truely made that song rocket. I’m about 80% sure she actually played Your Eyes on the guitar too, so a very very talented Actor.
Now the last two. My goodness. Angel and Tom are interesting roles because with named characters in a show there’s always an unspoken hierarchy to how prominent they are and in a way these two are more background side characters than the more in focus Mark and Rodger. But also they are arguably the most important characters of the show, because how well they are done directly affects how much impact act 2 has. Me and my wife were blubbery messes in act 2 so to say that these two were phenomenal is an understatement and a half. Patrick was wonderful as Tom Collins, bringing a very important beacon of peace and love to life in a story full of turmoil. His rendition of I’ll cover you - reprise was so authentic that it sent shivers down my spine. Absolutely flawless performance, I will be booking Patrick for my funeral. Hopefully that won’t be for a while but you never know how a review's going to go down. On to Angel. Lu is an absolute treasure, an incredible performer able to tackle not just the flamboyant happy parts of the show but also able to reach you in the darkest depths, every scene they were in they stole the show. Today for you’s drumming section is a particular highlight for me. Each hit was audible and in time which doesn’t sound like much of an achievement but she was doing that while spinning like a beyblade.
Spotlight has put together a stunning performance that’s truly something special, and I feel so fortunate that I got the pleasure of seeing it. Hopefully everyone reading will have that chance too because it’s very much worth the trip.
Production: Spotlight Theatre’s RENT
Rating: ★★★★★
Date: 27/08/2026
Reviewer: R.B.S
