Principal casting announced and booking extended for RENT

With a book, music, and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, RENT follows a group of impoverished young bohemians living in Manhattan's East Village, navigating love and loss, trying to make it as artists while grappling with the realities of poverty, and living with the invisible, inevitable threat of HIV/AIDS. This new production will play at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End. It is directed by WhatsOnStage and Olivier Award winner Luke Sheppard, who previously staged a revival of RENT at the Hope Mill Theatre in 2020 and 2021, which forms the inspiration behind this 2026 revival.

Joining the previously announced Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things) as Mark, will be Travis Ross (best known for Bobby in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club) as Roger, Bella Brown (Rapunzel in Into the Woods at the Bridge Theatre) as Mimi, Billy Nevers (Simon/Alternate Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium) as Collins, Lazy Violet (who previously played Maureen in Landmark Theatre's production of RENT) as Maureen, Olivier Award nominee Danielle Fiamanya (Fiona MacLaren in Brigadoon at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre) as Joanne, Jeevan Braich (WhatsOnStage Award for Best Professional Debut and the Stage Debut Award for Best Performer in a Musical for his performance as Rusty in Starlight Express at the Troubadour Wembley) as Angel and Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Herakles in The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse, Borough) as Benny. Further casting to be announced soon.

The creative team includes choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves, set design by David Woodhead, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, audio production and sound design by Paul Gatehouse, video design and cinematography by George Reeve and Nathan Amzi, make-up and hair design by Jackie Saundercock, musical supervision is Bill Sherman and musical direction by Katy Richardson.

Producers Sonia Friedman and Chris Harper expressed their excitement over the casting, saying "This remarkable group of actors embodies everything that has made Jonathan Larson’s RENT so enduring: individuality, honesty, fearlessness and generosity of spirit." Calling RENT a vital, urgent, and life-affirming story about love, friendship, community, and resilience, they went on to emphasise the importance of this new revival being "led by the voices, vitality and authenticity of the artists performing it today."

RENT will open at the Duke of York's Theatre on 26 September 2026, and is now booking until  27 March 2027.

RENT Tickets