Gaten Matarazzo will star as Mark Cohen in the West End revival of “Rent.”
The rock musical, which is returning to the stage in honor of its 30th anniversary, will begin performances at the Duke of York’s Theatre in September. Casting for the other main characters — Mark’s roommate Roger Davis, Mark’s ex-girlfriend Maureen Johnson, Maureen’s new girlfriend Joanne Jefferson, Mark and Roger’s former roommate Tom Collins, Tom’s love interest Angel Dumott Schunard, Roger’s fling Mimi Marquez, and Mark and Roger’s landlord and ex-roommate Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III — has yet to be announced.
Created by Jonathan Larson, “Rent” follows a group of young artists who are navigating life in New York’s East Village under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Larson unexpectedly died of an aortic dissection the night before the show’s first off-Broadway performance in 1996. “Rent,” whose memorable songs include “La Vie Boheme” and “Seasons of Love,” transferred a few months later to Broadway. It became a sensation and ran for 12 years, making it one of the longest-running shows on Broadway. “Rent” debuted on the West End in 1998 and was revived several times over the years.
This production will be directed by Luke Sheppard, who is best known for “& Juliet” and the Olivier Award-winning “Paddington.” Sheppard had staged a version of “Rent” at Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre in 2020 with a socially distanced audience due to the pandemic.
“We are absolutely delighted to be bringing ‘Rent’ back to the West End in this bold new production,” said producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman. “Jonathan Larson’s musical remains as powerful and resonant as ever, and Luke has found a way to honor its legacy while making it feel thrillingly fresh for today’s audiences. We cannot wait to share this production and all that we have planned for it. It promises to be a truly special theatrical event.”
Matarazzo, best known for portraying Dustin Henderson on Netflix’s hit “Stranger Things,” will be making his West End debut as Mark. He appeared on Broadway in the recent “Sweeney Todd” revival as Tobias as well as “Dear Evan Hansen” as Jared Kleinman.
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