RENT returns to the West End 30 years after changing theatre
RENT is back in London's West End for its 30th anniversary with Gaten Matarazzo starring in a limited run until February 2027.
Jonathan Larson's RENT is back in the West End 30 years after its original 1996 premiere, with a major London revival now playing until 13 February 2027. Performances began on 26 September 2026, with Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo leading the company as Mark.
The anniversary production brings one of modern musical theatre's most influential shows back to London at the Tom Stoppard Theatre, formerly the Duke of York's Theatre. Its return comes three decades after Larson's story of young artists, friendship, love and loss transformed Broadway.
Why was RENT so important?
RENT opened Off-Broadway in 1996 before transferring to Broadway, where it became a major cultural phenomenon. Larson based the musical loosely on Puccini's La bohème, moving the story into New York's East Village during the HIV and AIDS crisis.
Its characters included gay, bisexual and transgender people at a time when mainstream musical theatre offered far fewer LGBTQ+ stories. Songs including Seasons of Love helped the show move far beyond theatre audiences and into wider popular culture.
Larson never saw that success himself because he died from an aortic dissection the night before the first Off-Broadway performance. The musical later won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Musical.
Who is in the 2026 London production?
Matarazzo plays filmmaker Mark in the 30th-anniversary company. The production opened for performances on 26 September and is currently scheduled to continue until 13 February 2027.
London has its own long relationship with RENT, with the musical first reaching the West End in 1998. The 2026 revival therefore marks both the show's international legacy and the continuing relevance of its queer characters, chosen families and determination to live fully through uncertainty.
Tickets are currently on sale for the limited run, with availability varying by date.
