Synopsis

The video alternates between two contrasting stories. In black-and-white, Chris Lowe arrives at London's King's Cross station and moves through its grimy streets and station surroundings. In color, Margi Clarke plays the dissatisfied companion of a wealthy man hosting an elegant dinner party. Neil Tennant appears as her chauffeur, observing the strained relationship from the sidelines. Frustrated by her lover's indifference, she leaves the gathering and is driven to King's Cross, where she reunites with Lowe on the platform.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Rent" was released as the third single from the album "Actually" on October 12, 1987. It reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart.

• The video was filmed at King's Cross station and in the surrounding area during the summer of 1987. The location was filmed before the King's Cross fire on November 18, 1987, which killed 31 people.

• The two visual styles separate the video's parallel worlds: the station material is shot in black-and-white, while the wealthy household and its dinner party are presented in color.

• The cast includes Margi Clarke as the wealthy man's companion, Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath, as the wealthy man, and Neil Tennant as the chauffeur.

• The story reflects Neil Tennant's description of the song as being about a kept woman involved with a powerful man. He imagined the relationship as secret, emotionally complicated, and set in Manhattan.

• The title was chosen partly for its provocative association with the phrase "rent boy," although the song's central narrative concerns a financially dependent woman and her benefactor.

• The King's Cross footage later contributed to the visual world of the Pet Shop Boys' live performances, including projections created for their first tour in 1989.