A NORTH Wales musical theatre company is to return with its first production in almost two years after it proved fourth time lucky in setting a date and location for their new show.

Powerplay Musical Theatre Company, based in Penrhyn Bay, Rhyl and Rhos-on-Sea, will finally present their version of ‘Rent’, a rock musical by Jonathan Larson, at Venue Cymru every day between October 14-16.

The show, initially meant to be at Rhyl Pavilion, was postponed twice due to COVID-19, before the venue’s flooding in July rendered it unusable.

Luckily for creative director Amy Fenwick and her cast, Venue Cymru stepped in to save the day.

Amy, who set up Powerplay in 2007, said: “We couldn’t change the date again, so we had to find a venue because it was just so important that they performed.

“They’ve been rehearsing non-stop since January, mostly online, so it would have been so mean for me to move the date again.

“We perform in Rhyl Pavilion every year; that’s our go-to theatre, but unfortunately, because of the flood, they just couldn’t do it.

“We’re in the hall of Venue Cymru, not the main theatre, but it’s big enough for us to do our show, and they had the dates free. They’ve been amazing.

“I'm so happy that this cast are still able to perform, as they have worked so hard for more than nine months.”

‘Rent’, a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, follows a year in the lives of a diverse group of artists and friends in Alphabet City, Manhattan, struggling to survive and follow their dreams without selling out, all the while under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

It is Powerplay’s first production since November 2019, when they performed ‘Musical Mystery Tour - Here We Go Again’ at Rhyl Pavilion.

Powerplay, which has members from adults to children as young as four, made its television debut in 2010 when they were chosen at auditions to compete in Channel 5’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ talent show.

You can buy tickets in advance for any of their four ‘Rent’ shows by visiting: www.ppboxoffice.wixsite.com/rent (age advisory: 14+).

Tickets can also be purchased on the door, but only via cash payment.

Amy, from Llandudno, added: “We’re trying to push everybody to pre-book and, because we moved venues so late, the easiest way for us to sell tickets was by doing our own ticket link.

“Trying to get the ticket link to everyone has been our biggest challenge. I just want them to perform, because they’ve worked so hard. That’s my main priority.”