Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo is ready to take on a new stage, making his West End debut this September in Luke Sheppard’s revival of Rent. Cast as narrator Mark Cohen, Matarazzo will portray the struggling documentarian navigating life in New York City during the AIDS crisis of the early 1990s.
This marks a major milestone for the young actor, who transitions from Netflix fame to London theatre prestige. Director Luke Sheppard, fresh off his Oliver Award win for Paddington: The Musical, returns to helm Rent after a celebrated run at Hope Mill Theatre five years ago. “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 shared.
The rock musical, created by Jonathan Larson, first premiered off-Broadway in 1996 before moving to Broadway, where it won the Pulitzer prize and multiple Tonys. Producers Chris Harper and Sonia Friedman praised Sheppard’s vision, calling his staging “immediate, emotional and utterly alive”, while promising a revival that honors the legacy yet feels fresh for today’s audiences.
Matarazzo’s London debut comes as he balances theater with film, including his role in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s upcoming adaptation of Octet, alongside Amanda Seyfried, Rachel Zegler, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jonathan Groff, and more.With Rent returning to the West End and Matarazzo stepping into Mark Cohen’s shoes, audiences can expect a powerful blend of nostalgia and reinvention proof that Larson’s masterpiece remains as resonant as ever.
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