The Jonathan Larson Project

The Jonathan Larson Project description

The Jonathan Larson Project is an electrifying tribute to one of musical theatre's most visionary and heartbreaking figures. Jonathan Larson — the genius behind Rent and tick, tick… BOOM! — died tragically in January 1996, just one day before his masterpiece made its New York debut. This European premiere at Southwark Playhouse Borough, arriving thirty years after his death, offers a rare and profoundly moving window into the full breadth of Larson's creative world.

What makes The Jonathan Larson Project so extraordinary is the material itself: previously unheard songs drawn from Larson's personal archives, illuminating the artistry, activism, and restless imagination of a composer who was always reaching for something bigger. This isn't a greatest-hits concert — it's a journey into the mind of a young man following his heart in New York City, trying to change the world one song at a time. These raw, exhilarating works reveal the same fiery spirit that would later ignite Broadway and beyond.

Following a critically acclaimed sixteen-week Off-Broadway run at the Orpheum Theatre, the show has been reimagined for London by its original director, John Simpkins, conceived by Jennifer Ashley Tepper. Simpkins brings his intimate understanding of Larson's legacy to Southwark Playhouse Borough, shaping a production that balances theatrical spectacle with deeply personal storytelling.

The cast is nothing short of sensational. West End star Natalie Kassanga — celebrated for her roles as Satine in Moulin Rouge the Musical, Deena Jones in Dreamgirls, and Diana Ross in Motown the Musical — leads a company that also includes Max Harwood (breakout star of Everybody's Talking About Jamie), Marcus Collins (original West End cast of Kinky Boots), Michael Mather (Wicked's international tour), and Imelda Warren-Green (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder). Completing the cast, Georgie Butler and Edward Flynn Haddon were chosen from over 600 performers to make their professional debuts.

This production holds special significance: 2026 marks thirty years since Jonathan Larson's death — a commemoration that lends the show an emotional resonance that goes far beyond theatre. For anyone who has ever loved Rent, wondered what might have been, or simply believes in the transformative power of a new song, The Jonathan Larson Project is unmissable. Book now and be part of a theatrical moment London won't forget.

Playing at Southwark Playhouse Borough

77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD GB (venue info)

Directions