Victor Romero Evans and Rolan Bell (as Ivan Martin) in Theatre Royal Stratford East's The Harder They Come, now at the Playhouse Theatre. Photo Robert Day

The Harder They Come

When: 26 May - 13 Sep 2008; not Sun

Where: Playhouse Theatre

Opening Hours: 7.30pm; Mat Wed & Sat Mat 2.30pm
Running time: 2 hrs 50 mins

Web site: The Harder They Come Website

After two sell-out runs at Theatre Royal Stratford East and one at the Barbican Theatre, The Harder They Come brings a taste of Jamaican colour and drama into the West End at the Playhouse Theatre.

Based on the 1972 film renowned as the first Jamaican feature, The Harder They Come follows Ivanhoe Martin (in the film played by Jimmy Cliff) who arrives in Kingston to make it big in reggae, but falls foul of the record business and crime. As his music aspirations collapse he becomes a fugitive but his plight sees him become, briefly, an icon of hope for Jamaica's oppressed masses. It was based on the real-life story of Ivanhoe Rhyging Martin, whose life as an outlaw in Jamaica in the 1940s has been likened to Robin Hood.

Adapted from his own film by Perry Henzell (he was co-writer, with Trevor Rohne, producer and director), the show is directed by Theatre Royal Stratford East's artistic director Kerry Michael and Dawn Ried, with Ultz's designs and Jackie Guy's choreography. It is packed with such reggae classics as You Can Get It If You Really Want, Rivers of Babylon, Draw Your Brakes, Many Rivers to Cross, Sweet and Dandy, Johnny Too Bad, 007 (Shanty Town) (originally sung by Desmond Dekker), Pressure Drop, Sitting in Limbo and, of course, the title song.

A vibrant musical celebration of Jamaican culture, the stage production was first seen at Theatre Royal Stratford East in March 2006 and was revived in February and March 2007, before transferring to the Barbican this spring. It now moves even further west for this summer sojourn at the Playhouse Theatre.