Archival Jonathan Larson songs reach London, underscoring value of legacy theatre IP
A London production featuring 18 previously unreleased songs by the late Rent composer demonstrates how archival intellectual property continues to drive cultural programming and commercial viability in the European theatre sector.
The Jonathan Larson Project has opened at the Southwark Playhouse Borough in London, running until 22 August. The production features 18 lesser-known songs by the late Rent composer, sourced directly from a Library of Congress archive.
This staging underscores the growing commercial and cultural viability of mining archival intellectual property in the performing arts. By repurposing material written for obscure cabarets or cut from earlier musicals, producers can extend the lifecycle of creative assets while offering fresh programming to audiences.
Conceived by Jennifer Ashley Tepper, the revue translates an off-Broadway run from last year to the UK capital. John Simpkins directs the piece, utilizing Nate Bertone’s set design to evoke a cramped Manhattan apartment complete with a piano and a stepladder standing in for a fire escape.
The eclectic selection reveals the industriousness of Larson, who died aged 35 in 1996. The opener, Greene Street, captures the composer’s perspective as a 23-year-old newcomer to New York, noting the SoHo address “don’t mean money, honey!”
The five-person cast navigates significant musical shifts, reordered from a 2019 album of the project. Accompanied by Livi van Warmelo’s band, performers including Imelda Warren-Green, Natalie Kassanga, Michael Mather, Max Harwood, and Marcus Collins handle material ranging from fatalistic blues to pop arrangements. Marcus Collins, for instance, anchors the storytelling of Iron Mike, a ghostly narrative centered on the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Several tracks carry unexpected resonance for contemporary public discourse. A 1990 song titled The Truth Is a Lie presents a miscellany of misinformation that feels distinctly Trumpian. This anchors an evening that otherwise reflects on the Reagan era, with a diversion to Orwellian themes on the stirring SOS.
Larson once wrote that when the world is falling apart, playing the piano can “save my soul.” This London production suggests that excavating such archival material can also sustain the modern cultural economy.
