From Stranger Things to the West End: Gaten Matarazzo on why he gravitates towards theatre
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Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo (right) plays aspiring film-maker Mark Cohen in a revival of the musical Rent.
PHOTO: RENTWESTEND/INSTAGRAM
LONDON – Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo always finds himself returning to theatre, a path that has now led him to London’s West End in a revival of the hit musical Rent.
“It’s something I’ve always loved and believe I will continue to love, and once I stop loving it, I’ll stop doing it, but I really doubt that’ll happen,” Matarazzo told Reuters on Oct 8, the show’s opening night.
Matarazzo, who began his career on Broadway, was 13 when he first appeared as Dustin Henderson in the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things. The series wrapped filming in December 2024 after five seasons, leaving fans wondering what comes next for its young cast.
Matarazzo told Reuters that, while he did not have a specific idea of what he wanted to do after Stranger Things, making his West End debut held particular appeal.
“There’s an energy to (working in the West End) and a standard that is hard to live up to,” he said. “When Luke approached me with the production, it was just an absolute no-brainer.”
The 24-year-old plays aspiring film-maker Mark Cohen in Olivier Award-winning director Luke Sheppard’s revival of the musical, staged to mark its 30th anniversary.
Sheppard said casting Matarazzo was about more than bringing a recognisable name to the production.
“He’s got this magnetic quality,” Sheppard said. “And he’s also a musical theatre kid through and through. He loves musicals and, more than anything, he loves Rent.”
Set in New York during the HIV/AIDS crisis, Rent follows a group of young artists struggling to survive while pursuing their creative ambitions.
Following creator Jonathan Larson’s sudden death on the eve of its 1996 off-Broadway debut, the musical became a Broadway sensation and one of the longest-running shows in New York theatre history.
Sheppard was passionate about introducing new audiences to live theatre, which he described as an increasingly valuable shared experience.
“I really believe in the art form of theatre,” Sheppard said. “In a world where we’re so used to watching things on screen or seeing things generated now by AI, it’s so authentic to be in a room together.”
To help attract new audiences, the production is offering standing tickets for £20 (S$34) and discounted day seats.
Sheppard said: “We really want to make sure that this show is for everybody. And that’s true to the spirit of what Rent has always been.” REUTERS