The groundbreaking musical RENT ran on Broadway for over twelve years, gaining critical acclaim and racking up multiple awards. Loosely based on Puccini’s opera, La Boheme, Jonathan Larson’s rock musical tells the story of a group of struggling young artists as they create a life in Lower Manhattan’s East Village in the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. It is a powerful and confronting musical that reminds the audience that there is no day but today to make a change.
Opening in Adelaide on October 6, a new locally produced production is set to raise the roof of The Queens Theatre. The cast, all South Australian artists, have been rehearsing for the last few months in preparation for this new production of RENT.
Tate Simpson, who will be playing the role of Mimi Marquez, an HIV-positive heroin addict and stripper, sat down with me to talk about the show and what speaks to her in RENT.
“At the time it was written it was something new for musical theatre, having that rock blend, and such a prolific queer representation that was a reflection of the people that were, and are, in the arts space. It was written about Jonathan’s friends, essentially. It is a show that I think has a good understanding of the human experience, especially when faced with such difficult times.”
Theatre and performing has always been a huge part of Tate’s life. After taking a break from theatre, she is very excited to be back on stage for this production.
“I grew up with performing arts my entire life. I did dance through my whole childhood and singing as well. I took a bit of a break when I left school and transitioned more to circus, which is where I’ve been the last few years, doing aerial and acrobatics. I’ve also done cheerleading, which is a big part of my life. I think it was special to find a group of friends that were also passionate about doing theatre, and that’s even more important post-COVID when shows were opening back up. It was such a privilege to go and see live theatre again and that reignited a passion for me. I was excited to be able to get back on stage, and it really has recaptured my heart. I won’t be giving it up again for a while.”
I was curious to find out what drew Tate to the character of Mimi when it came to auditioning for the show.
“She is a lot of fun. Mimi has this brazen, outgoing persona that she puts on so unashamedly, especially during the first act when she is meeting these new people living around her. She has so much fun with life, but as we learn more about her and go forward with her journey with her, it becomes quite clear that she is very hesitant to be vulnerable around anyone. Having this new experience, this romance, with Roger is making her question a lot of what she had decided for herself.”
Creatively led by Benjamin Maio Mackay, Matt Ralph, Jesse Budel and Nina Richards, RENT is made up of all South Australian talent.
“It’s been a great journey we have all gone on together. From the first rehearsal we had back in June, even though it was a very informal rehearsal, we could see we had something very special on our hands. We could see there was a lot of talent in the room, and it’s all local SA talent. There are some young people in the cast, and I am very excited to see where their theatre journey takes them. Watching everyone settle into their characters over the past couple of weeks has been such a fun thing to watch. There was this moment last week when we were running the show where it all just lifted; we seemed to have found our characters and it all felt very real in that moment.”
While we may feel like we’ve come a long way on the road to equality, there’s still a long way to go. The themes that are explored in RENT are still as important today as they were back when the show was first written.
“The themes are so incredibly important today. You can apply the themes and messages to just about any time period. With all the changes happening in the world at the moment, there is always something we are fighting for, there is always someone being marginalised and being put down and it is up to the general, average person to be kinder to everyone. Whether you know them and their walks of life or not, we need to stop judging. The message behind the show really is about people and the human experience. I keep saying that I really hope that what people take away from the show is to cherish the friends who stand behind you.”
RENT, produced by 5 Quarter and Preachrs Productions, previews October 6 and runs for a strictly limited season, October 7-15, at The Queens Theatre in Adelaide. Tickets on sale now from rentadl.au .
Interview by Ben Stefanoff
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