Picture: Oliver Rosser
Full casting has been confirmed for the upcoming West End run of Jonathan Larson’s rock musical RENT.
Presented by Chris Harper Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions in association with Hope Mill Theatre, the production which celebrates 3o years since the musical’s Broadway debut, will begin performances at the Tom Stoppard Theatre (currently the Duke of York’s Theatre) on 26 September ahead of an opening night on 8 October. In response to high public demand the run has been extended until 27 March 2027.
Olivier Award-winning director Luke Sheppard (Paddington, & Juliet) will take charge of the new production which is based on Sheppard’s critically acclaimed 2020 Hope Mill Theatre version of Larson’s innovative work.
As previously announced Stranger Things and Broadway star Gaten Matarazzo (Dear Evan Hansen, Sweeney Todd) will make his West End debut in the production. Matarazzo will play Mark alongside Travis Ross (Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, 42 Balloons) as Roger, Billy Nevers (Jesus Christ Superstar, Groundhog Day) as Collins, Lazy Violet (SIX The Musical, Public The Musical) as Maureen, Danielle Fiamanya (Brigadoon, The Color Purple) as Joanne, Jeevan Braich (Starlight Express) as Angel and Joaquin Pedro Valdes (The Frogs, Alfred Hitchcock Presents) as Benny.
Alexa Lopez (Masquerade, Off-Broadway, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Broadway) has joined the production to play Mimi following Bella Brown’s (Into the Woods, Evita) decision to withdraw from the production after sustaining an injury prior to rehearsals.
The cast is completed by Baylie Carson, Laura Delany, Ryesha Higgs, Montoya Holloway-Johnson, Rhys Hopkins, Shem Omari James, Hannah Macpherson, TJ Matara-Holloway, Ryan Nixon, Leah Vassell, James Wilkinson-Jones and Kevin Yates.
Commenting on the cast, producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman said: “One of the greatest privileges of producing theatre is discovering and championing exceptional new talent, and that’s exactly what this extraordinary young company represents. This remarkable group of actors embodies everything that has made Jonathan Larson’s RENT so enduring: individuality, honesty, fearlessness and generosity of spirit.”
Announcing the production earlier this year, director Sheppard added: “It’s an honour to be bringing RENT into the West End for its 30th anniversary year, and a personal privilege to return to Jonathan Larson’s extraordinary musical. Directing the show at the Hope Mill Theatre was a transformative experience and we were overwhelmed by the audience response. The opportunity to reimagine that production on a larger scale is a dream come true, bringing West End audiences up close to the heartfelt emotion and raw energy that powers this seminal musical. This is RENT in the hands of a new generation of performers who love and adore this piece, and with Gaten Matarazzo playing Mark, it promises to be a thrilling experience.”
Sheppard leads a creative team that includes choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves, set designer David Woodhead, costume designer Gabriella Slade, lighting designer Howard Hudson, and audio production and sound designer Paul Gatehouse, with video design and cinematography by George Reeve and Nathan Amzi, make-up and hair design by Jackie Saundercock, UK casting by Pearson Casting, and US casting by Jim Carnahan.
The team also includes musical supervisor Bill Sherman, musical director and associate musical supervisor Katy Richardson, intimacy director Asha Jennings-Grant, assistant director Priya Appleby and dialect coach Joe Trill.
Inspired by Puccini’s opera La Bohème, Larson’s critically acclaimed work won four Tony Awards, six Drama Desk Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1996.
The rock musical boasts a book, music and lyrics by Larson, with musical arrangements by Steve Skinner, original concept and additional lyrics by Billy Aronson, music supervision and additional arrangements by Tim Weil and dramaturg by Lynn Thomson.
Angela Thomas
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