Written by Jonathan Larson, RENT has been credited with revolutionising musical theatre. Before RENT musicals often sounded like Oklahoma! and avoided the issues of the day. Inspired by Puccini’s opera La Boheme, Larson reimagined the story for the late 90s, with a group of young bohemians who struggle with art, love, and poverty, but are determined to live for the now.

Tragically, after working on the show for eight years, Larson passed away just hours before the first off-Broadway preview in New York. Since then, RENT has become a global sensation, winning both the Pulitzer Prize and multiple Tony Awards, and been adapted into a film featuring several of the original cast members.

Director Shaun Rennie’s production captures the grit and spirit that made RENT iconic thirty years ago. The rock opera’s powerhouse vocals drive the show, with its unforgettable score led by musical director, Jack Earle, carrying stories of romance, loss, and rebellion.

While this Opera Australia production does not lean into the AIDS narrative as heavily as the original —perhaps because it no longer resonates as urgently—it is still filled with electrifying songs, from heartfelt ballads to energetic ensemble numbers, delivered with dynamic energy.

Roger (Harry Targett) and Mimi (Kristin Paulse) sizzle from their first encounter with “Light My Candle” through to Mimi’s overt “Out Tonight”. Paulse prowls on hands and knees, howling and meowing with feline desire, her intensions clear as she provocatively circles Roger. Their chemistry ignites further in the passionate duet “Another Day,” as their lines overlap—There’s only us, there’s only this—capturing Mimi’s insistence that Roger to stop holding back and embrace the moment.

Angel (Jesse Dutlow) and Collins (Googoorewon Knox) are two of the most beloved characters. Their romance offers some of the show’s sweet tender moments. Dutlow plays the role with flamboyance and playful energy, while Knox shines with sincerity.

There are some witty humorous moments, in particular “Tango: Maureen,” a cleverly stylised parody duet with Mark (Henry Rollo) and Joanne (Imani Williams) in a reluctant dance as they commiserate over their mutual frustrations with Maureen. And Calista Nelmes (Maureen) in her quirky rendition of “Over The Moon.” Dressed in an absurdist-style bodice with multiple udders and a long blonde tail, she gleefully invites the audience to join her in a moo-along.

RENT shows a community that form its own family, bonded by love and survival in the face of AIDS and poverty. Their defiant connection bursts to life in the raucous ensemble number “La Vie Boheme,” where the group of outcasts celebrate bohemian life. The scene closes with Mark centre stage, arms spread wide, as the cast riff on Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

Set in New York’s East Village, Dann Barber’s staging reveals a run-down apartment block, its wheeled set pieces rotating the reconfiguring, moved by the cast. Ella Butler’s costumes evoke the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, from Angel’s Madonna-inspired cone bra to the fashion of the day flannels, and always the nod to New York with Maureen in an “I ♥ NY” t-shirt. Lighting design by Paul Jackson shifts with the characters’ moods and creates an atmospheric amber, violet and ruby red hazy, to Christmas lights and sultry, suggestive silhouettes.

Exuberant, defiant, and deeply moving, RENT remains a reminder to live each day as if it’s your last.

4 stars.

Running for approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes, including one interval.

Opera Australia presents LPD Productions’ RENT playing at Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, until 1 November 2025

For tickets visit Opera Australia