This episode, we're exploring two productions that put human relationships centre stage: a bold new interpretation of Jonathan Larson's iconic musical Rent, and the contemporary drama How to Keep Warm in Winter.
From the passion, rebellion and unforgettable music of Rent to the emotional complexities of navigating life's colder moments, both productions explore what it means to find love, belonging and hope when circumstances are working against you.
Rent
Thirty years after its Broadway debut, Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking musical Rent returns to the West End in an electrifying new production directed by Luke Sheppard.
Inspired by Puccini's La Bohème, the story follows a group of young artists struggling with love, friendship, identity and the realities of living through the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York's East Village.
Gaten Matarazzo, best known for Stranger Things, leads the company as Mark, alongside Travis Ross as Roger, Alexa Lopez as Mimi, Jeevan Braich as Angel, Billy Nevers as Collins, Lazy Violet as Maureen and Danielle Fiamanya as Joanne.
With choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves, we discuss how this reimagined production brings fresh energy to Larson's much-loved score, and whether its themes of community, creativity and living for today remain as powerful as ever.
How to Keep Warm in Winter
From the streets of New York to 1970s South London, How to Keep Warm in Winter explores love, migration and the challenges of building a new life in an unfamiliar country.
Written and directed by Kaleb D'Aguilar, the play takes us to London in 1973, as Prime Minister Edward Heath's Three-Day Week looms and Britain faces a deepening energy crisis.
Julene Robinson plays Irene, newly arrived from Jamaica to join her childhood sweetheart Everton, played by Emile John. Sharing a cramped room in Peckham, the couple must navigate racism, financial hardship and the growing tensions within their relationship. Dudley O'Shaughnessy plays David, their landlord, whose friendship with Irene complicates matters further.
Presented as part of the Ryan Calais Cameron Season, this intimate three-hander examines the Windrush generation's experiences, cultural identity and the difficult choices people make in pursuit of a better future.
We discuss the performances, the play's historical setting and how a story rooted in 1970s Britain still speaks to contemporary audiences.
From the bohemian streets of New York to a cold winter in Peckham, both productions remind us that when life becomes uncertain, human connection can be the thing that keeps us going.
Two productions. Two generations. And stories of love, resilience and belonging.
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