RENT The Musical at QPAC || Thndo

The Fame Reporter interviewed Australian recording artist and performer Thndo, who is currently starring as the iconic character of Joanne in the brand-new production of RENT on its Australian Tour, playing at QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre until 11 February.

We sat down with Thndo and talked about performing as Joanne with this talented cast, the challenges of performing in RENT with the heavy subject matter, her time on The Voice and more.

Welcome to The Fame Reporter Thndo, what sparked your interest in performing initially?
I watched an old tape of Queen at Live Aid and wanted to be like Freddie Mercury. The power to have a stadium of people surrender to your craft…magic.

What about your character, Joanne drew you to audition for RENT and what was your reaction when you landed the role?
Joanne wants the best for everyone and does everything within her means to look after them. She’s a lot like me in that she takes care of business, and knows exactly who she is and what she has to offer.

I was stoked to be cast as Joanne, it’s been a healing journey back into Musical Theatre for me.

What has been the most rewarding and challenging parts about performing in this show so far, especially with the various themes this show tackles?
The most rewarding has been the connections we’ve formed off stage, the whole company not just the cast. This story is about community and I believe I have found friends for life in through all of this.

The challenge is balancing how much emotional labour I am able to do night after night. I started off as a hard shell, and it all came undone during our first preview.

Now I’m learning how to moderate how much to give so I can keep something for myself, but Angel’s funeral is my Achilles heel. I think of my departed friend Molisi who was my real life Angel.

He died at 26 years old and knew he was living on borrowed time so he always lived each day as his last. This story will always be special to me because it helped me see that.

What 3 performers dead or alive would you love to have a dinner party with?
Definitely Whitney Houston, Ms Aretha Franklin and Jonathan Larson. There would be an abundance of life lessons to be learned from them all.

What was rehearsals like for a fan-favourite show like RENT and how is it working with this stellar cast?
Rehearsals were great, we all came in knowing our tracks so we focused on building our chemistry as a cast and that was super easy cause we all get along really well!

Everyone holds space for one another and we have created a supportive environment, receive each others offerings and the show is something we’re all really proud of.

The cast are really beautiful humans, and every single actor is so dedicated to their work and it’s really inspiring to be a part of.

Congratulations on the success of your incredible music career, what do you love about performing your own music?
I love story telling, and I am not confined to any one style of music so I get to be really creative. I love Jazz and I have a penchant for improvising with a live band and I feel ideas flow freely in that space.

Obviously very different to theatre where you respect the story that you’re telling, but in order to truly flourish in creative spaces you need boundaries so you can learn how to respectfully extent them and grow.

How important is representation in theatre and the arts to you?
Incredibly important, it’s the only way our industry will continue to thrive and be culturally relevant. We need stories about people from all walks of life because they represent the world around us.

Look around, people are all very different. Our stories should represent that.

What was your experience like on The Voice and how do you think it shaped you as a performer?I loved being on The Voice this time around, I got to show what I can do with my voice and really honed in on my acting chops. If you know, you know 😉

What are some of your future dreams?
I would love to live in Sweden and write pop songs until I retire and buy a house by the ocean. A simple dream.

What do you hope Australian audiences take away from RENT or why should they return to see this show again?
I’d love them to know that tomorrow is not promised and to not hesitate to do the things you want to do.