The Harder They Come story returns to UK stage
Some fans of The Harder They Come often wonder what would have happened if Ivan survived his gunfight with police and ended up in Cuba. There are a lot of similar ponderings around the classic 1972 movie, starring Jimmy Cliff and directed by Perry Henzell.
A re-imaged stage musical of The Harder They Come opens September 13 at the Stratford East Theatre in London, England.
Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Matthew Xia, it is scheduled to close on October 25.
Justine Henzell, daughter of Perry Henzell, told the Jamaica Observer that the musical presents a contemporary view of The Harder They Come.
“The original stage musical of The Harder They Come was staged 20 years ago and was written by Perry Henzell. This version has been written by Suzan-Lori Parks, who approaches the story with fresh eyes and grounds it in the social realities of 2025,” she said. “Many things have changed in Jamaica and the world since the film was released over 50 years ago, but many things have not. The struggle for the underrepresented to be heard is still valid.”
Born in Kentucky, Parks won the Pulitzer in 2002 for Best Drama with her play Topdog/Underdog. She was named by Time magazine as one of its 100 Most Influential People in The World for 2023.
Her take on The Harder They Come debuted at The Public Theater in Manhattan, New York, USA, in 2023.
A leading figure in British theatre, Xia was born in London to a Jamaican father and British mother.
Natey Jones, another Briton whose credits include Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, plays the lead role of Ivan.
The Harder They Come was co-written by Perry Henzell, a former advertising executive, and Trevor Rhone, who emerged as a force in Jamaican theatre during the early 1970s. The movie, driven by a powerful soundtrack with songs by Jimmy Cliff, Toots And The Maytals, The Melodians, and Desmond Dekker, helped introduce reggae to a global audience.
Perry Henzell died in November 2006 at age 70, while Rhone passed away three years later at age 69.
Suzan-Lori Parks .
