Several ticket buyers for the Rent musical in Örebro demand refunds after lead actress Jasmine Kara and most of the ensemble dropped out due to unpaid wages. The production has been postponed, but organizers offer new dates instead of refunds. Costume designer Ayescha Öztürk warns of unprofessionalism in the project.
The musical Rent, a major production featuring Jasmine Kara in the lead role, was set to premiere on January 25 at Kulturhuset in Örebro. However, the show has been postponed after Kara and nearly the entire ensemble left the project. The reason is that they have not received the promised payments, and the work has been described as unprofessional by several involved parties.
Costume designer and set designer Ayescha Öztürk, who has experience from multiple theater productions, has also dropped out. She speaks out publicly with criticism because the artists are bound by confidentiality agreements. “It must come out what has happened,” Öztürk tells Nerikes Allehanda. She does not want others to be affected and describes a chaotic work environment.
Ticket buyers feel cheated. One woman says: “We are a family who paid 800 kronor each for the tickets.” They are denied refunds but offered new performances later this spring, according to producer and director Emil Tonklinga. Who will take on the roles then remains unclear.
The incident highlights challenges in small-scale theater productions, where payment issues can lead to collapse. Nerikes Allehanda has reported on several accounts of unpaid fees, but details are limited by the agreements.
