“The message has not changed” Rediscovering the unforgettable songs and timeless themes of rock musical Rent

Tony Award-winning rock musical Rent has been popular since it opened in 1996, and with its unforgettable songs and timeless themes, it’s easy to see why. Hitting stages across the country on a national tour this year, the play comes to His Majesty’s Theatre from Saturday, May 11 to Sunday, May 26, with tickets on sale now. SAMANTHA ROSENFELD caught up with one of its stars, recording artist Thndo, to talk about what makes this play so special and why Perth audiences are going to love it.

Rent the musical centres around a group of socially and economically disadvantaged young people in New York City during the AIDS epidemic, finding themselves struggling to survive while their neighbourhood is gentrifying around them. Obviously, performing this in the middle of a housing crisis and at the tail end of a global pandemic, these themes are still relevant. How do you think the themes addressed in Rent resonate with Australian audiences today?

The message has not changed in nearly 30 years. Rent, at its essence, is about celebrating life, knowing that no day is promised. Jonathan Larson’s legacy is honoured in this work, and audiences will be able to relate to the characters because their isolation due to disease has forced them to create a community of their own. All queer people know what it means to build a community of enduring love and acceptance, and that’s the story that is told in Rent. It is a universal experience.

While there are many things about the characters and the difficulties they face that remain the same, discussions around things like race, class, gender, and sexuality have changed a lot. Rent was arguably ahead of its time in the ways it features diverse and marginalised characters, but does this production update some of the ways these stories are told?

The update comes from the way the actors have built their versions of these characters. Calista (Maureen) and I are not looking at our relationship as a stereotype of lesbians; there’s no masc or femme trope. We explored the nuance of interracial relationships at that time and why Joanne might not be able to express herself the way that Maureen does.

Our chemistry has been built authentically and is not meant to shock and provoke, but is intended to humanise same-sex couples so that the audience can view them like any other. Nick Afoa (Collins) and Carl De Villa (Angel) do this perfectly too.

We believe we’ve respectfully updated the text for modern audiences and have enjoyed challenging some of the audience’s assumptions about the story.

Rent is a modern classic of musical theatre with a lot of fans. What makes this production special?

This production is special because everybody in the cast is so uniquely connected to their character that it feels real. There isn’t really a way to describe it. You’d need to come experience it in person.

Every creative behind this version has really put their all into it; the costumes, set design, choreography, and direction have all been so intentional and work seamlessly with managing everyone’s expectations of the show they’re about to watch.

You play Joanne, a gay woman in a relationship with a performance artist who is her polar opposite. What aspects of her character have you tried to bring out? What do you enjoy most about playing Joanne?

The way I see it, Joanne and Maureen are more similar than what has previously been interpreted.

Joanne is passionate and strong-willed. She is a lawyer who works for the people, and don’t forget, she helped her friends break into a building they had been evicted from. She has to channel her passions in a different way because of who she is—a black woman.

It’s a tale as old as time. Historically, black women need to be twice as excellent to be half as recognised. We can’t afford to be dramatic, loud, or overly emotional. If Joanne had staged Over the Moon, she’d have been arrested for inciting a riot.

So I love playing into the passionate side of Joanne when she’s addressing her dad, when she’s with Maureen, and when she’s with Mark for the Tango. It’s a lot of fun because I’m so aligned with her.

You also work as a recording and performing artist, as well as having appeared on TV on The Voice Australia. What makes you want to perform in live theatre? How is it different from your other performance work?

Live theatre is another vessel through which I tell stories, and it’s been great for stepping into someone else’s shoes. I write and perform music, and theatre is about honouring someone else’s story. I loved playing Effie White in Dreamgirls and Shug Avery in The Color Purple, and adding Joanne to my resume has been wonderful as I’ve been able to explore how our stories run parallel and helped me unlock more in my songwriting journey.

What have been the highlights of the tour so far, and what are you most looking forward to about the run in Perth?

The different reactions from audiences around the country! Watching older audiences have a mix of nostalgia and excitement for a story they know and love, while younger audiences that are new to Larson’s work have really kept the fire alive in this show.

It never gets old. And getting to know everyone on the road has been wonderful; I’ve formed some strong connections I know will last a lifetime.

What is next for Thndo?

I look forward to releasing my debut album, Lessons in Love, in early 2025.