Gaten Matarazzo will make his West End debut in a new production of Jonathan Larson’s RENT, with the musical set to open at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 26 September 2026. The revival will have its official opening night on 8 October 2026, bringing the show back to London’s West End 30 years after RENT first premiered on Broadway.
Matarazzo, best known for his screen work, will play Mark in the production, which is being staged by Luke Sheppard. The show will be produced by Chris Harper Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions in association with Hope Mill Theatre, with tickets due to go on sale on 19 May 2026 at 12.00 noon. Ten thousand tickets will be available at £35 and under.
RENT is set in New York’s East Village and follows a group of young artists and friends as they navigate love, ambition and creativity while trying to find their own way. It is a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, and this revival is built on Sheppard’s staging that was first seen at Hope Mill Theatre in 2020.
Harper and Friedman said they were delighted to bring RENT back to the West End in what they described as a bold new production. They said they had been exhilarated by Sheppard’s staging when they first saw it at Hope Mill Theatre in 2020, calling it immediate, emotional and utterly alive. They added that Larson’s musical remains as powerful and resonant as ever, and that Sheppard had found a way to honour its legacy while making it feel thrillingly fresh for today’s audiences.
Sheppard said it was an honour to bring RENT into the West End for its 30th anniversary year and a personal privilege to return to Larson’s musical. He said directing the show at Hope Mill Theatre had been transformative and that the response from audiences had been overwhelming. He added that reimagining the production on a larger scale was a dream come true, and said that with Matarazzo playing Mark, the show promises to be a thrilling experience.
The revival’s scale and its pricing push are the clearest signs that its producers want the show to land as both an event and a reset. By pairing a familiar title with a fresh lead in Matarazzo and a staging already tested in Manchester, the production is aiming to meet anniversary sentiment with a commercial run that broadens access at the same time.
For London audiences, the next marker is the ticket release on 19 May 2026. After that, the measure will be whether this West End return can do what RENT has always been asked to do: feel immediate again.
