No day but today: full cast announced for West End revival of RENT as Bella Brown withdraws due to injury

The full cast has been announced for Jonathan Larson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical RENT as it prepares for a highly anticipated revival in the West End. This year, and the upcoming production, mark 30 years since it first opened on Broadway.

Chris Harper Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions, in association with Hope Mill Theatre, have announced full casting for the new production of RENT, directed by Olivier Award winner Luke Sheppard.

As previously announced, the cast will include Gaten Matarazzo, Travis Ross, Billy Nevers, Lazy Violet, Danielle Fiamanya, Jeevan Braich and Joaquin Pedro Valdes.

Bella Brown was originally announced as Mimi Marquez, but she has had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the production due to an injury sustained prior to rehearsals. Alexa Lopez will join the cast as Mimi, making her West End debut.

Brown released a statement on her instagram at the time of the announcement that read:

“This has been a devastating decision, but I have withdrawn from RENT. There is a large conversation to be had about vocal health/injuries and the shame surrounding them. I have withdrawn due to a current vocal injury and am in need of a good few weeks of recovery. This outcome is the last thing I wanted. However, I feel it is the right choice to take some time out and heal. I am only human, and I want to be in this industry for the long run.

I have had nothing but support from the RENT team in this decision. I am very lucky to have a wonderful support system from my agent to my vocal coach and my family and friends. They are holding me at this time. I wish the cast of RENT all the best with the show moving forward. I know it is going to be magnificent.”

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The cast of RENT

It was announced earlier this year that a major revival of RENT would come to the West End in celebration of 30 years since the groundbreaking musical debuted on Broadway. Leading the cast is Gaten Matarazzo, best known for starring as Dustin Henderson in Netflix’s Stranger Things. He has also appeared on Broadway in Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd and Dear Evan Hansen.

The full cast has now been announced and will include:

Gaten Matarazzo as Mark
Travis Ross as Roger
Billy Nevers as Collins
Lazy Violet as Maureen
Danielle Fiamanya as Joanne
Jeevan Braich as Angel
Alexa Lopez as Mimi Marquez
Joaquin Pedro Valdes as 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.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical returns

Set in New York’s East Village and inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT follows a group of young artists, musicians and friends navigating love, ambition and creativity while trying to build lives on their own terms.

Creator Jonathan Larson was posthumously awarded the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Musical for the show, and it went on to win numerous awards. This is the first major revival of RENT in the West End in nearly 20 years.

The production is directed by Luke Sheppard, whose recent credits include Paddington The Musical and & Juliet, with choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves, set design by David Woodhead, costume design by Gabriella Slade and lighting design by Howard Hudson.

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Plan your visit to RENT

Theatre: The Tom Stoppard Theatre
Booking dates: 26 September 2026 – 27 March 2027
Performance schedule: Monday to Saturday evenings; Friday and Saturday matinees
Age: 14+

Rent

The Tom Stoppard Theatre (formerly the Duke of York's Theatre), London

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