Hit reggae musical THE HARDER THEY COME to return to Stratford East

Photo credit: Danny Kaan

Stratford East has announced that critically acclaimed reggae musical THE HARDER THEY COME will return to the venue from 16 May – 4 July after playing to packed houses last year.

Based on the cult Jamaican film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone, THE HARDER THEY COME brought reggae to the world. The stage adaptation is by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Olivier Award-winner Matthew Xia. Casting is to be announced.

Director Matthew Xia said: “As the DJ says in The Harder They Come, ‘“It’s a hit because you people made it a hit” - and it turns out that isn’t just a line in a play, it’s exactly what happened at Stratford East. Coming back now feels like a celebration of Jimmy Cliff’s legacy and of the audiences who showed up and claimed this story. I’m thrilled and as proud as (rum) punch that The Harder They Come is returning, just as big, bold, and revolutionary as before.”

The Harder They Come tells the story of Ivan, an aspiring singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, determined to live out his dreams on his own terms and make it as a music superstar.

After cutting a record deal with a manipulative music mogul, Ivan learns that the game is rigged and becomes increasingly defiant. As his star rises, he finds himself topping the charts and the most-wanted list of criminals.

This unmissable show transports audiences to 1970s Jamaica and asks us the question: "What is the personal cost of fighting against systemic injustice?"

This staging of the seminal film features a sensational soundtrack with brand-new songs by Suzan-Lori Parks alongside classics by Desmond Dekker and Toots and the Maytals, plus Jimmy Cliff hits including ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ and ‘Many Rivers to Cross’.

The creative team includes set designer Simon Kenny, costume designer Jessica Cabassa, lighting designer Ciarán Cunningham, live sound designer Tony Gayle, sound designer (sound effects and soundscapre) Nicola T. Chang, choreography and intimacy director Shelley Maxwell, video designer Gino Ricardo Green, vocal arranger and original musical director Ashton Moore, orchestrator and musical arranger Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, casting director Heather Basten CDG, fight director Claire Llewellyn for RC Annie, voice and dialect coach Aundrea Fudge, and creative and cultural consultant Justine Henzell.

Tickets for THE HARDER THEY COME go on sale from 12pm on Friday (6 Feb) here.