Billy Nevers on the ‘extremely immersive and intimate’ West End revival of RENT

Billy Nevers. Photo by Sophie Scott.

Jonathan Larson’s genre-defying musical RENT is back in London in what we hailed as a “flawless revival”. Recently opening at the Tom Stoppard Theatre and set during the 1990s in New York, RENT follows a group of young artists struggling with poverty, addiction, gentrification, and the HIV/AIDs epidemic, whilst trying to create art and discover love. There’s a real buzz about this production’s return to the West End stage, so we were thrilled when the West End’s Tom Collins, played by Billy Nevers, chatted with Theatre and Tonic about being part of this revival.

Talking of his earliest memory, like many RENT fans, “I was first introduced to RENT when I heard and sang ‘Seasons of Love' when I was at a theatre school.” There was also the 20th Anniversary tour in 2016, which starred Layton Williams and Lucie Jones, which Billy saw “multiple times and fell in love with the show”. When the 30th anniversary revival was announced, “I knew I had to be involved because not only is the show so special, but the creative team is so exciting”.

The last few years have been incredibly busy for Billy Nevers, who has recently released his debut album, The First 25, as well as starred in the West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar alongside Sam Ryder. Reflecting on such a busy period of transiting between the different projects, Billy says, “Honestly, it’s tiring, but it’s also the life I once dreamed of. The schedule is definitely overwhelmingly full, but it’s all a dream come true. “

Billy Nevers (Collins) and Jeevan Braich (Angel) in RENT. Photo by Pamela Raith

Billy Nevers now stars as Tom Collins in RENT, a production that was written in the 1990s but still has themes which still resonate with audiences today. “The show sets out to show an audience the struggles of young people from marginalised communities by casting young people from marginalised communities.”

“It’s important for us to showcase how far we’ve come from the time period we are portraying but to also acknowledge and showcase how little has changed socially and politically. This company of RENT were not born when the show first premiered but can resonate with the same struggles, and that shows how relevant it is. “

Talking about his character, Billy reflects on what is at the heart of him in this musical. “Collins lives life through love and love only. He doesn’t allow his circumstances to weigh him down. He continues to try and search for the joy at every point of his story.”

RENT isn’t for the faint-hearted; it is a musical which delves into difficult subjects like poverty, addiction, and sexuality. In the creative process, Billy says balancing the weight of those with the infectious energy of the score has been “So important. The show is HEAVY, and in order to approach it safely, we have to create an environment where everyone is comfortable to go there. It also means that when you have moments of joy, you have to feel that in its fullest form!”

Billy Nevers (Collins) and Company of RENT. Photo by Danny Kaan.

A fundamental part of Billy’s performance in this production is his character’s relationship with Angel. He reflects on the fact that although the musical was first staged 30 years ago, he thinks their relationship is “at the heart of the show and it’s impossible not to root for them as a couple”. Played by Jeevan Braich, Billy has said working with them “is a dream! What we have managed to create together has been so fun and collaborative. We get on so well as humans, which has only made our jobs on stage easier and a lot of fun!”

30 years on, people seeing RENT will be witnessing this beautiful story for the first time. Billy Nevers describes the show as “a story of life. A story of love. A story of truth” that is “extremely immersive and intimate”. Audiences visiting the Tom Stoppard Theatre can actually purchase seats on the stage getting them into the thick of the action. And although the theatre is a small house, “even the seats at the top feel a part of the story”.

Billy Nevers stars in RENT at the Tom Stoppard Theatre. It continues performances through to 29 May 2027.