Jessie Wallace joins Rent

The new production of Rent - or Rent Remixed as it's been dubbed - has been delighting audiences on the West End as it injects a new lease of life and an alternate take on the Broadway show of the same now. Having originate the role on the London stage, Denise Van Outen will leave her role of Maureen and be replaced by Jessie Wallace.

Well known to millions for her role as Kat Slater in the BBC's Eastenders Jessie Wallace left the soap in 2005 after 5 years in the role. Since departing from 'Albert Square,' Wallace has kept up her presence on television screens with roles in one-off BBC dramas A Class Apart, The Dinner Party and Miss Marie Lloyd - Queen of The Music Hall and will soon be a familiar face for ITV viewers too appearing in Wild at Heart. Jessie Wallace will make her first appearance in Rent on December 24 2007.

Wallace will be joining an existing cast that includes former Sugarbabe Siobhan Donaghy as Mimi, Luke Evans as Roger, Oliver Thornton as Mark, Leon Lopez as Collins, Jay Webb as Angel, Francesca Jackson as Joanne and Craig Stern as Benny.

Rent caused controversy when it first hit the stage as it dealt with a lot of subjects considered taboo at the time; gay, lesbian and bisexual relationships and the threat and effects of diseases such as HIV and AIDS. Rent first hit the London stage in 1998, returning in 2001 with a cast that included Adam Rickett. The new production has been reworked and re-orchestrated for the London stage by William Baker and Steven Anderson, the producer and musical director for Kylie Minogue, to create a new contemporary edge.

You can book your tickets to see Rent as part of a Holiday Extras today from as little as £93 per person including an overnight stay and breakfast in a nearby hotel and, for a limited time, free ice-skating at The Tower of London outdoor skating rink - the perfect way to spend Christmas in the West End. Book today and save, for all your theatre break needs and news, make it easy going - make it Holiday Extras.

Published By:
Tony Hill