Ghosts – A new dark comedy drama by Peter Martyn
July 7, 2026
The revival marks 30 years since RENT premiered on Broadway and arrives in the West End with director Luke Sheppard at the helm.
Set in New York’s East Village, RENT follows a group of young artists, musicians and friends as they navigate love, ambition and creativity while trying to build lives on their own terms. Inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, the show captures the joy, uncertainty and resilience of a generation determined to make every moment count.
With an unforgettable rock score and a story that still resonates three decades after its premiere, RENT is a celebration of community, connection and a call to live every minute as if it were your last. No day but today.
Joining the previously announced Gaten Matarazzo as Mark, will be Travis Ross as Roger, Bella Brown as Mimi, Billy Nevers as Collins, Lazy Violet as Maureen, Olivier Award nominee Danielle Fiamanya as Joanne, Jeevan Braich as Angel and Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Benny. Further casting to be announced soon.
RENT has music, lyrics and book by Jonathan Larson.
It is directed by Luke Sheppard with choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves.
Set design is by David Woodhead, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, audio production and sound design by Paul Gatehouse, video design and cinematography by George Reeve and Nathan Amzi, make-up and hair design by Jackie Saundercock, UK Casting by Pearson Casting CSA, CDG, CDA and US Casting by Jim Carnahan CSA.
The musical supervisor is Bill Sherman and the musical director and associate musical supervisor is Katy Richardson, the intimacy director is Asha Jennings-Grant, the associate director is Priya Patel Appleby and the dialect coach is Joe Trill.
Venue: Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4BG
Opening: 26 September 2026
Performance days:
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Friday – Saturday at 2.30pm
Age guidance: Recommended for ages 14 and over. Under 5s are not permitted in the auditorium.
Content guidance: This production contains adult themes including HIV and AIDS, bereavement, addiction, suicide and sexual content. It also features strong language, smoking, haze and strobe effects.
Performance length: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one interval.
Captioned performance: Thursday 12 November 2026 at 7:30pm
Audio described performance: Saturday 21 November 2026 at 2:30pm
BSL interpreted performance: Saturday 28 November 2026 at 2:30pm
Jonathan Larson (1960 to 1996) was an American composer, lyricist and playwright best known for the groundbreaking rock musical RENT, which won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Musical. Loosely based on Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT premiered at New York Theatre Workshop on 13 February 1996, ran on Broadway for 12 years and was later adapted into a 2005 feature film directed by Chris Columbus and a 2019 live FOX television production by Marc Platt.
Earlier in his career, Larson received the Stephen Sondheim Award in 1989, the Richard Rodgers Development Grant in 1990 for his rock musical Superbia at Playwrights Horizons, and the Richard Rodgers Award in 1994 for RENT. He also composed J.P. Morgan Saves the Nation in 1995 and the autobiographical rock monologue tick, tick… BOOM!, which was later restaged off-Broadway in a three-person adaptation by David Auburn and turned into a 2021 Netflix film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Larson died unexpectedly from an aortic aneurysm on 25 January 1996, just ten days before his 36th birthday and on the eve of RENT’s first preview. His legacy continues through his works and through the Jonathan Larson Foundation, administered by the American Theatre Wing, which supports emerging musical theatre artists. In 2025, The Jonathan Larson Project, featuring his previously unheard works, was produced off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre.
Travis Ross’ (Roger) theatre credits include the role of Bobby in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist, 42 Balloons and West Side Story. On screen, Travis is due to appear in the upcoming Apple TV series The Wanted Man.
Bella Brown (Mimi) most recently starred as Rapunzel in Into The Woods at the Bridge Theatre. Her previous theatre credits include Mistress/Alternate Evita in Jamie Lloyd’s Evita at the London Palladium, for which she received a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical, Fate in Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre, and Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre.
Billy Nevers (Collins) is currently playing the role of Simon/Alternate Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, having previously starred in the production at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. His further theatre credits include the roles of Aaron Burr and Lafayette/Jefferson for the first UK and Ireland tour of Hamilton, Fred in Groundhog Day at The Old Vic, Francois in &Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre, and Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Lazy Violet (Maureen) is no stranger to the role, having previously starred as Maureen in Landmark Theatre’s production of RENT. Their other credits include Katherine Howard in SIX The Musical for Norwegian Cruise Line, the UK tour and at the Arts Theatre, and Laura in Public the Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Danielle Fiamanya (Joanne) recently starred as Fiona MacLaren in Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Her other stage credits include Lily in Otherland at the Almeida Theatre, Second Witch in the UK tour of Macbeth alongside Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma, May in The Secret Life of Bees at the Almeida Theatre, Winnie Mandela in Mandela at the Young Vic, the original West End cast of Frozen at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the original West End cast of &Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre and Nettie in the Curve Theatre production of The Color Purple, for which she won the Stage Debut Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Jeevan Braich (Angel) won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Professional Debut and the Stage Debut Award for Best Performer in a Musical for his performance as Rusty in Starlight Express at the Troubadour Wembley, as well as being nominated for a Black British Theatre Award.
Joaquin Pedro Valdes’ (Benny) theatre credits include Herakles in The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse, Borough, Alfred Hitchcock Presents at the Theatre Royal Bath, The Lightning Thief at The Other Palace, The Baker’s Wife and Pacific Overtures both at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Death Note at the London Palladium and Lyric Theatre and the UK and Ireland tour of The Lion King.
Gaten Matarazzo (Mark) gained international recognition for playing Dustin Henderson in the Netflix drama series Stranger Things, winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance. On stage he most recently appeared as Tobias in the critically acclaimed production of Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway. His other Broadway credits include Jared Kleinman in Dear Evan Hansen at the Music Box Theatre, Jesus in Godspell at Circle in the Square and Frankie Epps in Parade at New York City Center. He also appeared as Jack in Into the Woods at the Hollywood Bowl.
