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Gaten Matarazzo Stars in West End RENT, Tickets May 19

5/20/2026

Summary

Gaten West End

Gaten Matarazzo will debut on the West End as Mark Cohen in RENT at Duke of York’s Theatre.
The revival, produced by Chris Harper, Sonia Friedman Productions and Hope Mill Theatre and directed by Luke Sheppard, opens 26 September 2026, has its opening night on 8 October 2026, and runs through 13 February 2027.
Tickets for 10,000 seats at £35 and under go on sale at 12:00 noon on 19 May 2026.

Summary

Rent Revived

The revival of Rent is marketed as a fresh experience that underscores its historic LGBTQ+ and AIDS-crisis themes.
Gaten Matarazzo, whose résumé includes childhood roles in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Misérables and adult credits in Dear Evan Hansen and Sweeney Todd, will appear in Octet with Amanda Seyfried and Rachel Zegler.
Jonathan Larson’s Rent earned the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and multiple Tony Awards after its 1996 Broadway debut.

Summary

Rent Closes

Rent opened West End run at St James Theatre in late 2016 and closed on 28 January 2017.
Director Luke Sheppard staged a socially distanced version of Rent at Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre in 2020.
Co-stars Christina Baranski, Kiera Knightly and Michael Sheen now appear in Hayfever, The Lives of Others and Amadeus respectively.
Rent premiered off-Broadway in 1993 before creator Jonathan Larson died of an aortic dissection the night before that performance.

History

Historical Context

Jonathan Larson’s rock opera Rent, developed at New York Theatre Workshop in 1993 and opened off-Broadway on Jan 26 1996 after his death the night before, transferred to Broadway on Apr 29 1996, won the Pulitzer and ran 12 years grossing over $280 million. The 2026 West End revival at Duke of York’s Theatre starring Gaten Matarazzo revives its AIDS-era urgency for new audiences.

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Gaten West End

Gaten Matarazzo will debut on the West End as Mark Cohen in RENT at Duke of York’s Theatre.
The revival, produced by Chris Harper, Sonia Friedman Productions and Hope Mill Theatre and directed by Luke Sheppard, opens 26 September 2026, has its opening night on 8 October 2026, and runs through 13 February 2027.
Tickets for 10,000 seats at £35 and under go on sale at 12:00 noon on 19 May 2026.

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