More than two decades after its last major West End run, Jonathan Larson’s iconic rock musical Rent is officially returning to London – and this time, it’s bringing a familiar Netflix face with it.
Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo has been announced as the first cast member in the highly-anticipated 30th anniversary revival, set to open in September 2026.
The production will begin performances at the Duke of York’s Theatre on September 26, with an official opening night scheduled for October 8.
A significant return
Rent first premiered in 1996 and quickly became one of the defining musicals of its generation.
Inspired by ‘La Bohème’, the show follows a group of young artists navigating love, friendship, ambition and the AIDS crisis in New York’s East Village.
The musical previously played in London’s West End in 1998, but major productions have been relatively rare in recent years.
This new staging arrives as part of the show’s 30th anniversary celebrations, giving longtime theatre fans – and a newer generation – the chance to experience it live again.
Gaten Matarazzo will make his West End debut
Matarazzo is set to play filmmaker Mark Cohen, one of the musical’s central characters.
While many fans know him best as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things, the actor has a strong theatre background, previously appearing in Broadway productions including Les Misérables, Dear Evan Hansen and Sweeney Todd.
The casting marks his official West End debut and has already generated excitement online among both theatre audiences and Netflix viewers.
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Luke Sheppard returns to direct the production
The revival will be directed by Luke Sheppard, whose acclaimed Hope Mill Theatre version of Rent in 2020 helped inspire this larger-scale West End transfer.
Producers Sonia Friedman and Chris Harper described the earlier production as “immediate, emotional and utterly alive,” as reported by WhatsOnStage.
Sheppard has said revisiting the musical for a bigger audience feels like “a dream come true,” promising a fresh interpretation while still honouring the legacy of Larson’s original work.
What audiences can expect
The production is currently booking through February 2027 and is expected to feature many of the show’s most beloved songs, including Seasons of Love, La Vie Bohème and One Song Glory.
With anniversary nostalgia, a major West End return and a high-profile lead already drawing attention, Rent looks set to become one of London theatre’s biggest musical events of 2026.
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Ian Trinidad 
Newsjustnews writers 
Hyacinth Estrada