RENT is returning to the West End for its 30th anniversary, with Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo taking one of the leading roles in the landmark musical.

Gaten Matarazzo is best known as Dustin Henderson in Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, but his career actually began on stage when he was a child. He has appeared on Broadway in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Godspell, Les Misérables, Dear Evan Hansen, Sweeney Todd and Parade, and will now play filmmaker Mark Cohen in the new London production of RENT.

Performances begin at the Duke of York’s Theatre on 26 September, with Gaten currently scheduled to remain with the production until 10 January 2027. The show is directed by Luke Sheppard, whose previous productions include & Juliet and Paddington The Musical.

Set in New York’s East Village, RENT follows a group of young artists, musicians and friends trying to build their lives around love, relationships, ambition and creativity. Inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, Jonathan Larson’s musical became particularly important for its portrayal of LGBT characters and people living through the HIV and AIDS crisis.

Gaten is joined by Travis Ross as musician Roger, Alexa Lopez as dancer Mimi, Billy Nevers as Collins, Lazy Violet as performance artist Maureen, Danielle Fiamanya as lawyer Joanne, Jeevan Braich as Angel and Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Benny.

The production arrives three decades after RENT first became one of the most influential modern musicals, with songs including Seasons of Love, Take Me or Leave Me and La Vie Bohème becoming closely associated with the show.

For Stranger Things fans who have only seen Gaten as Dustin, the West End run also offers the chance to see a very different side of the actor. His theatre career began before the Netflix series made him internationally famous, making his casting as Mark much more than a television star making a one off stage appearance.

Where to see RENT

RENT begins performances at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London on 26 September. The production is currently booking into 2027, while Gaten is presently scheduled to perform until 10 January.

Official tickets and current performance availability can be found through the RENT website.