Stranger Things' Gaten Matarazzo Rocks West End in Rent Revival!

Gaten Matarazzo, best known for his role as Dustin in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, is set to make his West End debut in London later this year. He will star in a new version of the famous rock musical Rent, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary since it first appeared on Broadway. Rent tells the story of a group of young artists living in New York City during the 1980s, a time when the HIV/Aids crisis was affecting many people. The musical is known for its powerful music and for highlighting the struggles of people who are often not heard.

Matarazzo, who is now 23, became a global star thanks to Stranger Things, but he has been performing on stage since he was a child. He has appeared in several Broadway shows, including Les Misérables and Dear Evan Hansen. In Rent, he will play Mark, who is both the narrator and a documentary filmmaker in the story. The show will be directed by Luke Sheppard, who recently won an Olivier Award for his work on Paddington: The Musical. Sheppard said that this new production of Rent will be exciting because it features a new generation of performers who really care about the story.

Rent was written by Jonathan Larson, who sadly passed away just before the show first opened in 1996. The musical was groundbreaking because it focused on the lives of LGBTQ+ people and the challenges they faced during the HIV/Aids epidemic. It also talked about social issues that were not often discussed at the time. The producers of the new show say they want to stay true to Larson's original music and message, while also making the show feel fresh for today's audiences. Matarazzo has also done other TV work, including voice acting, but it was Stranger Things that made him famous around the world. Rent will open at London's Duke of York Theatre in September 2026, and fans are excited to see Gaten Matarazzo take on this important role.