Bradford Youth Players (pictured) are staging the Bradford premiere of rock musical Rent this week.

The show, a retelling of Puccini’s opera La Boheme, is set in 1980s New York and follows a year in the lives of a group of young Bohemians – their developing relationships, the challenges they face, the dreams they hold dear and their hopes and fears. Although the musical deals with adult issues including same-sex relationships, Aids, and HIV, the overriding themes are of love and the support of close friends.

Ian Sapiro, from the Players, says: “The talented cast of around 30 young people, all aged between 16 and 25, have devoted a significant amount of their free time to the production and are looking forward to seeing the result of the hard work they have put in over the last five months.”

- Rent runs at the Lord Kalms Theatre, Dixons City Academy, Ripley Street, off Manchester Road, from Wednesday to Friday. Tickets are available online at bradfordyouthplayers.co.uk or by e-mailing byptickets@ hotmail.co.uk