“We can all learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the face every day, and we should reach out to each other and bond as a community, rather than hide from the terrors of life.”

So wrote Jonathan Larson, author and playwright of Rent, the latest production from the super-talented cast and crew of Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society (BATS). Director and Choreographer, Louise Travis, with Musical Director Jonathan Eiø, pulled out all the stops to draw out the very best from the players.

Rent is a challenging production on many counts. It is a challenge for the actors and a challenge for the audience. It is also a serious vocal challenge and one that requires all involved to reach into the depths of their very selves to create meaningful, recognisable characters that everyone can relate to in one way or another. For some watching it may be uncomfortable at times – but what is good drama if not, occasionally, to take us out of our comfort zone? Above all, it is a story of friendship and fear, love and loss, death and the legacy we leave behind us when we die.

Set in New York, in the 90s, Rent doesn’t flinch from introducing us to the lives of those “staring death squarely in the face.” Best friends Mark and Roger rent an apartment which they can’t afford to pay for and are being chased for payment by a former flat-mate, Benjamin Coffin III (Benedict Kennedy) who has sold out to respectability – though this, it turns out, is the least of their worries and those of their friends. Mark, played by Jack Baldwin, is the narrator of their story, filming every event on camera in a despairing attempt to capture what life is like for those facing issues of homelessness, drug addiction, gender identity and, above all, the scourge of AIDS. Not the easiest part but Jack played it brilliantly, his sure and powerful voice conquering those difficult vocals with seeming ease while providing the vital link holding the various strands of the story together. Sometimes standing by to watch the lives of your friends fall apart is as bad as experiencing it yourself.

First time BATS performer, David Honeywell, playing Roger, provided a good contrast to Jack. Roger has a tragic back story, HIV positive himself and having lost his one-time love to suicide after she discovered she was HIV-positive too. He is frightened to love again, initially resisting, painfully, the attractions of Mimi, Luannsa Goodman turning in a feisty performance. David’s acting was impressive, every quiver on his mobile face evidence of his fear and his longing. His desire to leave behind one last song (One Song Glory) which would stand the test of time was a recurring theme, just as film-maker Mark’s was to compile a realistic record of troubled times.

Essentially, Rent focuses on three couples and their very different approaches to love. Most poignant of the three was that of Tom Collins (James Young) and the enchanting Angel (Tom Boncey). Angel, a drag queen extraordinaire, strives to bring joy to enrich the lives of everyone she meets, especially Collins, through unfailing kindness and generosity. The two together, James and Tom, take everyone with them as they fall head over heels in love. Their duet, I’ll Cover You, is one of the most beautiful in the show. When Angel dies, Collins at the bedside, the light goes out and the community of friends start to fall apart. It’s only at the end of the show that Angel’s own legacy – the understanding that all you need is love – becomes clear.

Laura Burrell played Joanne, the girl who falls in love with someone completely different from herself, the outrageous and ever-flirtatious Maureen (Jade Williams) a former girlfriend of Mark. One of the stand-out songs, early on in the show is Tango Maureen, danced with considerable aplomb by Mark and Joanne, reflecting on the way Maureen effortlessly has them both dancing to her unique tune. Unique is the only word to describe Jade’s performance, as Maureen, of Over The Moon which was completely bonkers and totally captivated an appreciative audience.

Act One, despite the underlying tragedy transmitted so effectively through the AIDS/ HIV support group rendering of the powerful anthem Will I Lose My Dignity?, included several upbeat songs to stay in the memory. Among these were Angel’s joyous Today 4 you - a toe-tapping musical ‘present’ brightening up Christmas Day for Mark, Roger and Collins; and Mimi’s intoxicating Out Tonight as she tries to persuade Roger out of his melancholy and into her arms. The Act finishes on a riotous note. Mark leads the company in La Vie Boheme, a raucous hymn of praise for the Bohemian lifestyle they have all embraced, excellently performed by one and all.

This production of Rent offered many such opportunities for the whole cast to demonstrate their boundless enthusiasm and energy, the hallmarks of many a BATS performance.

Right from the start of Act Two, there was a sense of impending doom, of dark days ahead. The first Act had been concentrated on Christmas Eve/Day - while the beautifully sung Seasons of Love at the start of the second Act talked of the 525,600 minutes in a year, measuring the year to come in seasons. It was good to see members of the Ensemble taking solo lines, giving them a chance to shine.

Angel’s death, from AIDS, came as a shock with Collins’ tender administrations to his ailing lover almost unbearably poignant. This was great acting by James Young which had many of the audience in tears. His reprise of I’ll Cover You at Angel’s funeral was incredibly moving. So, too, was Mark’s breakdown at Hallowe’en, laden down with anticipatory grief and survivor guilt. Truly memorable scenes.

In the end it was Angel whose example, even in death, brought the community together after their painful split. Mark and Roger were reconciled, as were Maureen and Joanne, Mimi and Roger - Mimi’s near-death prompting Roger’s realisation that “you were the song all along.”

We can’t know what will happen to each of them next, but the Company’s Finale was full of the hope that they could make each day that followed count if they only clung together through everything thrown at them.

BATS has a reputation for shows which are out-and-out people pleasers - but for a Society which wants to grow in strength and to stretch the talents of its excellent members, including many promising up and coming newbies, Rent proved the ideal vehicle. More importantly still, it was abundantly clear that this production meant a great deal to every one of the cast and crew - they totally believed in its messages. And because of that, they helped their audiences to understand and appreciate those messages too.

Jaqui Ball
Retiring in Style