No longer booking
  • Venue Southwark Playhouse Borough, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 22 August 2026
  • Running time 1hr 30min no interval
  • Age guidelines Recommended 12+

Book now for The Jonathan Larson Project, an electrifying celebration of the Rent composer’s rare and unheard songs, making its European premiere at Southwark Playhouse Borough with a cast of West End stars.

The Jonathan Larson Project in London

Following a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway run, The Jonathan Larson Project makes its European premiere at Southwark Playhouse Borough, running from 9 July to 22 August 2026. An electrifying celebration of the groundbreaking composer behind Rent and Tick, Tick… BOOM!, it offers a rare and exhilarating window into Larson’s creative world, featuring previously unheard songs drawn from the late composer’s own archives.

Conceived by Broadway producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper and reimagined for London by the original Off-Broadway director John Simpkins, the show illuminates the artistry, activism and restless imagination of one of musical theatre’s most influential voices. The material spans songs from Larson’s unproduced musicals 1984 and Superbia, numbers cut from Rent and Tick, Tick… BOOM!, and songs written for revues, radio and beyond, much of it never publicly performed before.

The production brings together a company of West End stars, led by Max Harwood (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Stranger Things: The First Shadow), Natalie Kassanga (Dear Evan Hansen), Grace Mouat (Mean Girls), Marcus Collins (Kinky Boots, Mrs Doubtfire), Michael Mather (Wicked) and Imelda Warren-Green (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder).

A poignant anniversary

The London staging carries special significance, marking 30 years since Jonathan Larson’s sudden death in January 1996 from an aortic dissection just one day before the first performance of Rent, the musical that would make him a posthumous legend. This celebration of his previously unheard music offers an intimate portrait of an artist who was truly ahead of his time. Larson’s sister Julie, who serves as executive producer, said the family was “deeply honoured” to share the show with UK audiences.

Book The Jonathan Larson Project tickets

The Jonathan Larson Project plays a strictly limited European-premiere season at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 9 July to 22 August 2026. With an intimate venue, a cast of West End favourites and a rare chance to hear unheard work from one of musical theatre’s most beloved composers, early booking is recommended, particularly for fans of Rent and Tick, Tick… BOOM!.

The Jonathan Larson Project is a show about a young man following his heart in New York City and trying to change the world. Celebrating the early, experimental and never-heard work of the composer behind Rent and Tick, Tick… BOOM!, it draws on the dozens of seldom-heard songs, unfinished musicals and pop songs discovered in files and boxes after Larson’s sudden death in 1996.

Bringing this rare material to life with bold theatricality and contemporary resonance, the production offers a rare and exhilarating window into the mind of a visionary artist whose restless imagination, activism and artistry would go on to reshape the American musical. Previously presented as a concert at New York’s 54 Below and released as an album by Ghostlight Records, it now arrives in London in a full staging by its original Off-Broadway director, following an acclaimed run at the Orpheum Theatre.

An intimate, joyful and moving celebration, The Jonathan Larson Project is essential for fans of Larson’s landmark work and anyone who loves the art of the musical.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of The Jonathan Larson Project ?

  • Max Harwood (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Stranger Things: The First Shadow)
  • Natalie Kassanga (Dear Evan Hansen, Dreamgirls)
  • Grace Mouat (Mean Girls, & Juliet)
  • Marcus Collins (Kinky Boots, Mrs Doubtfire)
  • Michael Mather (Wicked)
  • Imelda Warren-Green (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder)

Who are the creative team of The Jonathan Larson Project ?

  • Music and Lyrics: Jonathan Larson
  • Conceived by: Jennifer Ashley Tepper
  • Director: John Simpkins
  • Casting Director: Rob Kelly

The production is produced by Thomas Hopkins Productions and SAMS Entertainment, with Julie Larson as executive producer.

Venue Information

Southwark Playhouse Borough , 77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD

Nearest Tube or Train: Elephant & Castle (Bakerloo line, Northern line)

Nearest Buses: 35, 40, 133, 136, 333, 343, C10, N35, N133, N343

Directions

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Jonathan Larson Project is playing at the Southwark Playhouse Borough in London
The running time of The Jonathan Larson Project is 1hr 30min no interval
The age recommendations for The Jonathan Larson Project are: Recommended 12+
Yes, The Jonathan Larson Project has matinee performances on the following days: Tuesday, Saturday
No, sorry, The Jonathan Larson Project has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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