Bay talent to rock ‘Rent’

Keenly awaited rock musical Rent, directed by Robin Williams and opening at the Pemads Theatre next week, will see some of the Bay’s brightest young talent on stage.

The lead roles of Mark and Roger will be played by Jaydee Mulder, last seen as Franz Liebkind in The Producers and Ryan in High School Musical, alongside Phillip Cowie, a PE Gilbert & Sullivan regular who has appeared in numerous revues and cabarets, as well as playing Tommy in Annie Get Your Gun.

The tragic Mimi is played by Cailan van Heerden, taking on her first major musical role.

Other cast members include Zena Bally, Kasvia von Memerty, Arthur Daniels, Litha HewittColeman and Nkosinathi Rodrigues.

Rent, with music, lyrics and the book by Jonathan Larson, is staged by Pemads in association with Platform Productions.

Platform Productions was created by acclaimed Bay director Williams to bring exciting and challenging productions that would otherwise not be on the normal theatrical agenda to the city.
The award-winning production is set in the 1980s and loosely based on Puccini’s opera La Boheme.

It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City’s East under the shadow of HIV/Aids.

The Tony, Olivier, Pulitzer and Drama Desk award-winning musical will have a PG rating for language and themes.

“This is a huge undertaking – it’s big, rocky, edgy and avant-garde, romantic, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting,” said Williams, whose role as director is backed by choreographer Chireen Ferreira and musical director Petrus Meyer.

David Limbert, of Magnetic Storm, is doing the lighting design and Clear As A Bell’s Steven van der Merwe the sound design.

A first for the Bay, Rent: The Musical will be staged at the Pemads Theatre in Athol Fugard Terrace at 7.30pm from Wednesday until Saturday June 2 (no shows on Sundays and Mondays).

Tickets are available at Computicket or at Checkers or Shoprite.