The first production image from Rent in the West End has been released, taken as the company played the Life Cafe. Jonathan Larson’s musical began performances at the Tom Stoppard Theatre on 26 September 2026.
The first production image from Rent catches the company mid-number at the Life Cafe. Festoon lights criss-cross the stage, a neon sign burns above the cafe tables, and the band plays from a gantry at the back. Gaten Matarazzo stands on a table in the middle of it, still, while the company throws itself outward around him.
Two banks of onstage seating frame the shot, one either side, so the audience sits inside the set. It is the first look at Luke Sheppard’s production in the theatre, after the rehearsal-room pictures released earlier this month. The photograph is by Pamela Raith.
Performances began at the Tom Stoppard Theatre on St Martin’s Lane on 26 September 2026.
Gaten Matarazzo plays Mark, with Travis Ross as Roger, Alexa Lopez as Mimi and Billy Nevers as Collins. Lazy Violet plays Maureen, Olivier Award nominee Danielle Fiamanya plays Joanne, Jeevan Braich plays Angel and Joaquin Pedro Valdes plays Benny.
The company is completed by Baylie Carson, Laura Delany, Ryesha Higgs, Montoya Holloway-Johnson, Rhys Hopkins, Shem Omari James, Hannah Macpherson, TJ Matara-Holloway, Ryan Nixon, Leah Vassell, James Wilkinson-Jones and Kevin Yates.
Larson wrote the music, lyrics and book, taking Puccini’s La Bohème and moving it to New York’s East Village. It follows a group of young artists, musicians and friends trying to build lives on their own terms, and its best-known line — no day but today — is the argument it makes.
Luke Sheppard directs, with choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves, set design by David Woodhead, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, and audio production and sound design by Paul Gatehouse. Video design and cinematography are by George Reeve and Nathan Amzi, and make-up and hair design is by Jackie Saundercock. UK casting is by Pearson Casting CSA, CDG, CDA and US casting by Jim Carnahan CSA.
Bill Sherman is musical supervisor and orchestrator, and Katy Richardson is musical director and associate musical supervisor. Asha Jennings-Grant is intimacy director, Priya Patel Appleby associate director and Joe Trill dialect coach.
The West End production is produced by Chris Harper Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions, Winkler & Smalberg and Julie Larson, in association with the Hope Mill Theatre. Rent was originally produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Allan S. Gordon and the New York Theatre Workshop.
Rent is now running at the Tom Stoppard Theatre, St Martin’s Lane. Our guide to the production has the full background.
