It’s been a busy few weeks for Jack Baldwin. The secondary school science teacher has been spending his evenings immersed in worlds far away from his day job in Camberley. He’s been to a fairytale kingdom, as Prince Eric in BAOS’s production of The Little Mermaid, and now to 1990s New York, for his role as Mark Cohen in our production of Rent.
“It’s all about organising things as far ahead as possible!” says 25-year-old Jack. “I always try to get everything up to date in my life so I can put my all into teaching AND my all into the shows!”
Performing in Rent was an opportunity he didn’t want to miss.
Jack Baldwin
“I produced the musical at university,” he explains, “But I wasn’t actually in it. I was managing everything – the costumes, the sets, the marketing. It’s only when I saw it on stage that I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s one of my all-time favourite shows.”
Why? “Because it’s about real life. It’s full of real characters dealing with real issues in the 1990s, explored through some incredible songs. Everyone can relate to at least one character in the show.”
For Jack, that character was Mark Cohen, an aspiring filmmaker who records the daily dramas of a community of struggling artists and musicians.
Jack in rehearsal with his camera!
“On the one hand he feels like an outsider, but he’s also the glue that keeps everyone together. He’s observing his close friends dealing with challenges like HIV/AIDS and is trying to process that. Mark’s always there, and he gets taken for granted a bit by the others. That leads to his eventual breakdown in act two.”
The darker moments are balanced by the joy and exuberance of musical numbers like La Vie Boheme which Jack leads.
“To anyone who’s not sure if Rent is for them, I’d say, give it a go. Come with an open mind. You won’t regret it. It’s a really powerful and poignant musical and the talent in this show is fantastic. I can’t wait to be performing it for an audience!”
See Jack in Rent at the Haymarket, Basingstoke from 16th-20th May. Buy tickets online.