West End leading actress
Natalie Kassanga Satine in Moulin Rouge the Musical
Irene Roth in Crazy For You
Deena Jones in Dreamgirls
Diana Ross in Motown the Musical
Original West End cast of Dear Evan Hansencompletes the cast of
THE JONATHAN LARSON PROJECT
THE JONATHAN LARSON PROJECT
Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
The celebrated New York tribute featuring previously unheard songs
from the legendary composer of Rent
Conceived by Jennifer Ashley Tepper
Directed by John SimpkinsSouthwark Playhouse Borough
Thursday 9 July – Saturday 22 August, 2026 for 6 weeks only!
This new production commemorates 30 years since Larson’s death
on the very eve of his greatest success
Please note – only single press seats are available
West End leading actress Natalie Kassanga completes the cast of The Jonathan Larson Project, an electrifying celebration of the ground breaking composer behind Rent and tick, tick… BOOM! which will make its highly anticipated European premiere at Southwark Playhouse Borough from Thursday 9 July to Saturday 22 August 2026.
Following a critically acclaimed Off Broadway run, The Jonathan Larson Project is being reimagined for London by original Off Broadway director John Simpkins.
Natalie has starred in many leading musicals in both the West End and on tour, including playing Satine in Moulin Rouge the Musical, Irene Roth in Crazy For You, Deena Jones in Dreamgirls, Diana Ross in Motown the Musical and she was in the original West End cast of Dear Evan Hansen.
She joins the previously announced Max Harwood (breakout star as Jamie New in the film Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Marcus Collins (original West End cast of Kinky Boots), Michael Mather (Fiyero on the international tour of Wicked) and Imelda Warren-Green (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder in the West End), plus Georgie Butler and Edward Flynn Haddon, who were chosen over 600 performers in an open search led by Emmy-nominated casting director Rob Kelly, to make their professional debuts as covers.
The Jonathan Larson Project is a show about a young man following his heart in New York City trying to change the world. The show offers a rare and exhilarating window into Larson’s creative world, featuring previously unheard songs from the late composer’s archives. They illuminate the artistry, activism, and restless imagination of one of musical theatre’s most influential voices.
The 2026 London production holds special significance, marking 30 years since Jonathan Larson’s death in January 1996 from an aortic dissection just one day before Rent’s first performance in New York.
This exciting UK cast of West End stars will bring Larson’s early, experimental, and never-heard work to life with bold theatricality and contemporary resonance.
The Jonathan Larson Project recently captivated critics and audiences alike, leading to a 16-week Off Broadway season at the Orpheum Theatre.
Creative team:
Director John Simpkins
Casting: Rob Kelly
Producers: Thomas Hopkins SAMS Entertainment
Co-Producer: Cason Cane
Executive Producer: Julie Larson
Jonathan Larson – Composer
Jonathan Larson (1960–1996) transformed the American musical with Rent. Despite his tragic death before opening night, Rent went on to enjoy critical and commercial success, and transferred to Broadway, becoming the 12th longest-running Broadway production. Larson posthumously received three Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Rent was also adapted into a 2005 film. Tick, Tick… Boom! received an Off-Broadway production in 2001, and was also adapted into a 2021 film, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield (in an Academy Award nominated performance) as Larson. Larson’s work continues to inspire new generations of artists and audiences around the world. The Jonathan Larson Project invites theatre lovers to discover the breadth of his talent beyond his most famous works.
John Simpkins – Director
John has directed New York productions of the three-time Drama Desk nominated Bloodsong of Love (Joe Iconis) at Ars Nova; Things to Ruin (which he co-conceived and directed) at Second Stage, Zipper Factory, Ars Nova; The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks at the Lortel Theatre; The Black Suits at SPF/ Public Theatre; The Bus (James Lantz) at 59E59; and ReWrite at Urban Stages. Additional world premieres include Joe Iconis’ Love in Hate Nation (Two River Theater) and The Black Suits (Center Theatre Group/ Kirk Douglas Theatre), Jacques Lamarre’s Raging Skillet (Theaterworks Hartford), and Andrea Daly/ Jeff Bienstock’s Legendale (Fredericia Teater in Denmark).
Thomas Hopkins Productions (THP) – Producer
Thomas Hopkins Productions (THP) was founded in 2019 by award-winning theatre, film, television, and radio producer Thomas Hopkins. Since its inception, THP has worked on over 150 live theatrical productions and numerous productions created and filmed specifically for platforms such as Sky, BBC, Amazon Prime, BroadwayHD, Broadway On Demand, and the educational platform Digital Theatre Plus. THP is recognised as an industry leader, specialising in transatlantic partnerships and supporting productions through its full-service organisation.
THP’s recent productions include; the critically acclaimed UK tour of The Talented Mr. Ripley and on Broadway; Robert Icke’s Oedipus, new musical Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Liberation and seven-time Tony®-nominated John Proctor is the Villain. In London, THP produced This Bitter Earth, directed by Grammy Award, Emmy, and three-time Tony Award®-winning Billy Porter, at Soho Theatre in London’s West End; as well as the highly regarded Rose, starring Dame Maureen Lipman at the
Ambassadors Theatre.
THP is passionate about creating new theatrical experiences and productions. Among THP’s current slate of development, some of the highlights include a new version of Boy George’s autobiographical musical Taboo, with plans to open in 2027; a new family musical by Olivier Award-winning composer Vikki Stone, based on the iconic BAFTA-winning BBC TV show Maid Marian and Her Merry Men by Sir Tony Robinson.
In 2026, THP are also producing the 20th anniversary tour of the hit comedy Glorious! starring Wendi Peters, along with the major UK revival of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s hit musical Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Tony®-nominated Carrie-Anne Ingrouille.
www.thproductions.co.uk
SAMS Entertainment- Producer
SAMS Entertainment, founded by Tony Award–winning producers Sam Houlihan and Sam Biondolillo, is a New York–based producing company dedicated to theatre that is both artistically vibrant and accessible. The company is guided by the belief that producing should be collaborative, transparent, and rooted in trust-opening doors for new voices while supporting work that resonates with contemporary audiences.
On Broadway, the Sams have produced award‑winning productions including Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, the acclaimed revival of Merrily We Roll Along, Gutenberg! The Musical!, and Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen. Off‑Broadway, their credits include DATA at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and Prince Faggot at Studio Seaview. Beyond Broadway, SAMS’ producing work spans the United Kingdom, where credits include the UK tour of The Talented Mr. Ripley, the UK tour of Glorious!, The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse, and Little Shop of Horrors at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester and in Liverpool.
In addition to producing, SAMS Entertainment offers comprehensive management and consulting services. The company partners with artists and creative teams from the earliest stages of development through performance, providing structure and support that encourages both artistic freedom and financial clarity. Their model invites collaborators and investors into the creative and commercial process itself, not solely the final result, fostering an environment of openness, shared purpose, and long‑term sustainability.
Driven by a belief in the transformative power of theatre, Sam Houlihan and Sam Biondolillo are committed to creating work that inspires, challenges, and endures-building theatre for today’s audiences and for generations to come.
Southwark Playhouse
Southwark Playhouse is a registered charity that delivers a year-round programme of entertaining and enriching work. Southwark Playhouse operates two separate venues ‘Southwark Playhouse Borough’ and its newest theatre ‘Southwark Playhouse Elephant’ which opened in January 2023. Southwark Playhouse has always prided itself in telling stories and inspiring the next generation of storytellers and theatre makers, where support for the community has been rooted at the core of the organisation.
Website: southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
BlueSky: @swkplay.bsky.social
Facebook: SouthwarkPlayhouse
Instagram: @swkplay
TikTok: swkplay
YouTube: southwarkplayhouse
LISTINGS INFO
Thomas Hopkins SAMS Entertainment
&
Julie Larson
proudly present
The Jonathan Larson Project
Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Conceived by Jennifer Ashley Tepper
By arrangement with
Music Theatre International
Directed by John Simpkins
Southwark Playhouse Borough
77-85 Newington Causeway
London SE1 6BD
Thursday 9 July – Saturday 22 August, 2026
7pm Monday Saturday
2.30pm Matinee Tuesday & Saturday
How To Get There: The nearest stations are
Borough and Elephant & Castle
Tickets are available from: www.jonathanlarson.co.uk
Instagram: @jonathanlarsonproject
Ticket Prices: £10 – £35
Age Guidance: 12+
Running time:90 mins (no interval)