“Rennie made his directorial debut with Rent in 2015; he knows this production like it’s a part of him. That staging, which was a return-season sellout at the small but influential Hayes theatre, showed both his potential and revealed his inexperience, but it was electric: a new brilliant mind meeting a sometimes brilliant show. Five years later, Rennie’s body of work has evolved to centre thoughtful and compassionate explorations of community, identity and connection through a queer lens. His works are tough questions phrased gently; his musicals dive deep into the inner lives of his characters but extend a hand back to the audience to welcome them in for the journey.”
Sydney Opera House
January 2021
The Arts House - Wyong
February 2021
Australian Tour Credits
Director Shaun Rennie
Musical Director Andrew Worboys
Choreographer Luca Dinardo
Assistant Director Amy Sole
Set Designer Dann Barber
Costume Designer Ella Butler
Associate Costume Designer Sancia Holden
Head of Wardrobe Claudia Kryszkiewicz
Lighting Designer Trent Suidgeest
Sound Designer David Bergman
Producer Gus Murray
Producer Lauren Peters
“Shaun Rennie made his directorial debut when he directed Rent at the Hayes Theatre in 2015. The production sold out before opening and had a return season. Now, on the show’s 25th anniversary, Rennie directs a new production with an all-new cast. Produced by Gus Murray and Lauren Peters for the Sydney Opera House, this new version shows how much Rennie has grown as a director in the intervening five years. He directs here with assurance and sensitivity, leading a well performed, powerfully staged, gritty production.”
The cast of RENT
“Directed by Shaun Rennie, the Sydney Opera House production marks a triumphant return to theatre in our COVID-19 world. While our pandemic differs from the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Rennie ensures the parallels of fear, loss, uncertainty, and disconnection are profound”