If you’re a fan of the musical RENT then, just like me, you are probably beside yourself with excitement right now. Jonathan Larson’s musical is celebrating 30 years since its Broadway opening, a major new West End production starring Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo is just weeks away, and now Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, the original Mark and Roger, are coming back together in London!
RENT is my favourite musical. I first saw it on my seventeenth birthday (starring Rapp and Pascal) and it has stayed with me ever since, so I make absolutely no claim to being cool or professional about any of this. This is EPIC!
Rapp and Pascal will reunite at Musical Con at ExCeL London on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, appearing across both days as part of a special celebration of RENT’s 30th anniversary. Check out my review of Musical Con 2025 here.
The pair originated Mark Cohen and Roger Davis when RENT opened on Broadway in 1996 and will perform live at the convention, talk about creating two of the musical’s most iconic roles and reflect on the extraordinary three decades that followed. There will also be dedicated Meet & Greets for fans who fancy coming face to face with the original Mark and Roger.
And this isn’t actually the first time they have brought those roles to London. Rapp and Pascal recreated Mark and Roger in the original London production of RENT at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1998 (DID I MENTION I WAS THERE??), alongside fellow original Broadway cast members Jesse L. Martin and Wilson Jermaine Heredia. Both later returned to their roles for the 2005 film adaptation.
For plenty of newer fans, Rapp will also be familiar as Lieutenant Paul Stamets in Star Trek: Discovery, where he starred alongside another RENT alumnus, Wilson Cruz, who previously played Angel on Broadway.
And the timing really couldn’t be better. By the time Rapp and Pascal arrive at Musical Con, an entirely new Mark and Roger will already be treading the West End boards.
The new 30th-anniversary production of RENT begins performances on 26 September at the venue currently known as the Duke of York’s Theatre, which is being renamed the Tom Stoppard Theatre, before officially opening on 8 October. Just nine days later, the actors who created Mark and Roger will be back together on stage in London.
The new production includes some stellar casting. Gaten Matarazzo, best known as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things and with Broadway credits including Sweeney Todd, Dear Evan Hansen and Parade, makes his West End debut as Mark, with Travis Ross playing Roger. Alexa Lopez takes on Mimi, alongside Billy Nevers as Collins, Lazy Violet as Maureen, Danielle Fiamanya as Joanne, Jeevan Braich as Angel, and Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Benny.
Directed by Luke Sheppard and inspired by his acclaimed 2020 Hope Mill Theatre production, the West End revival is now booking until 27 March 2027, with rehearsals already underway.
It’s all part of a pretty remarkable year for Jonathan Larson’s work in London. This summer also saw the European premiere of The Jonathan Larson Project at Southwark Playhouse (my review here), bringing rare and previously unheard songs from Larson’s archive to the stage as another part of the celebration of his extraordinary legacy.
Thirty years after RENT first exploded onto Broadway, it is still finding new audiences, winning over new generations and, apparently, giving those of us who discovered it years ago plenty of reasons to get ridiculously excited all over again.
Musical Con co-founders Shanay Holmes and Chris Steward said: ‘RENT has an extraordinary legacy and continues to mean so much to audiences around the world. To bring Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal together in London, 30 years on from creating Mark and Roger, is incredibly special, and feels like the perfect way to celebrate five years of Musical Con.’
The convention takes place at ExCeL London on 17 and 18 October, with day tickets starting from £49 and Weekend Passes from £85.
A new Mark and Roger on the West End, the original Mark and Roger back together in London, and an entire year celebrating Jonathan Larson’s legacy. As someone who first fell in love with RENT as a teenager, it’s like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one!
“‘Coz everything is RENT!”
RENT plays at the Tom Stoppard Theatre (currently the Duke of York’s Theatre) from 26 September 2026 to 27 March 2027.
Book your tickets at rentthemusical.com
Musical Con takes place at ExCeL London on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October 2026.
Book your tickets at musicalcon.co.uk
Words Nick Barr
Featured photo: RENT, 2005.
