Rent debuted last night and will perform again tonight as this year’s Trinity Halls Musical. With almost a full house, there were high hopes for this student-run production of the much-loved musical. The Halls musical is put together every year by members of the JCR and is comprised solely of Halls residents. The initiative is not only a great way for students to meet new people but also provides a space for creative minds and those musically inclined to create amateur theatre that is enjoyable for both its performers and their audience. Everyone involved is there on a voluntary basis so the entire process becomes more about the social side of musical theatre and embraces a relatively relaxed approach.
Despite its shaky start, Rent began with a positive outlook. Some dodgy notes and nervous jitters were clear from the awkward and sometimes stilted acting coming from the stage. The limited choreography appeared restrictive at times but the creative blocking quickly drew attention away from this in scenes where the majority of the cast were on stage, and the ultimately the potential of the ensemble reached new highs.
The calibre of the casting is a testament to the talent that can be found in the community at Trinity. Every single member of this year’s musical had vocals that could have seen any of them in lead roles. The music was outstanding and a credit to both the actors and the band. The power came from the female cast while the flair could be found in the men’s section. A special mention to those who played Maureen and Joanne, a dynamite duo whose rendition of Take me or Leave me presented the most energy and personality. The efforts to recreate the stunning emotional depth and weighted themes original to the musical cannot go unacknowledged. Not only is the music sometimes difficult to grasp but the content of the show also asks a lot of its actors in the formation of the individual stories of each character.
For a group of students to take on such a piece for the sheer love of theatre is admirable. No one ever truly knows the hours of work that goes into putting such a complicated production together. There’s no denying that the talent presented last night is encouraging for what’s to come in the performing arts community here in Trinity. Every year seems to bring something different to the table, and the 2018 Hall’s musical has brought us voices that demand to be heard.
Trinity News regrets the publishing of inappropriate comments regarding the actors in Trinity Halls’ musical in an earlier version of this review. The comments were removed from this article at 2:47pm on November 16, 2018.
