On Monday, September 1, it was a pleasure to attend an excerpt of rehearsals for the musical The Harder They Come, and to speak to award-winning director, Matthew Xia (Tambo & Bones, Skeleton Crew) and actor Jason Pennycooke (Hamilton, Memphis, La Cage Aux Folles, Guys & Dolls), who plays Preacher.
Adapted by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Book of Grace), this production marks a powerful return to Stratford East after its run in the early 2000s.
Based on the cult classic film that brought reggae to the world, The Harder They Come tells the story of Ivan, an aspiring singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, determined to live out his dreams and make it as a music superstar. In the excerpt, we are transported to a lively Kingston scene, enthusiastically blending music, jostling, and laughter in a vibrant street scene which made me feel I could be in Jamaica, having never stepped foot in Jamaica in my life.
The direction is intentional, the feelings it inspired, I imagine, welcome. Director Matthew Xia spoke to me about centering authenticity in the production, from building a team of creatives that share his personal connectedness to Jamaica, and the freedom this brings in language and creativity, to the careful attention to world-building early on in the production.
Similarly, Jason Pennycooke, who plays Preacher, spoke about resisting the urge to bring the story up to date for a 2025 audience, but rather keeping the essence of the time. Understanding that what is being depicted is how it was. “If you’re offended, then good, that’s theatre, some things of that time were offensive, but also some things were joyous, exciting… “
It’s hard I feel, to get across care and stewardship of such a thing in a few minutes, but as a rousing rendition of Many Rivers to Cross very nearly brought tears to my eyes, I felt the promise of this for the whole production: a dynamic exploration of culture, class struggle, politics, and life in Jamaica at that time.
Speaking to his motivations for taking on the mantle of director and whether or not it was a daunting or exciting prospect to do so, Xia shared the many routes to his saying ‘Yes’ to it. His deep connectedness to the culture and music through his Jamaican father, involvement in the original production in 2004, and the draw of working with the writer Suzan Lori-Parks.
Did any of this make it a daunting task or more exciting? He noted that the feeling of being excited and scared is part of what makes a piece of art.
When I asked Jason to describe the production in three words, he shared: “Life, love, and laughter”. I certainly felt these in the brief time we watched the cast and look forward to watching the production.
The cast also features Danny Bailey as José, Josie Benson as Daisy, Craig Blake as Ray, Madeline Charlemagne as Elsa, Natey Jones as Ivan, Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Pedro, and Thomas Vernal as Hilton. The ensemble includes Chanice Alexander-Burnett (who also serves as cover for Elsa), Lori Barker (On Stage Swing), Ashh Blackwood, Aisha Davis (who also covers the role of Daisy), Kage Douglas (On Stage Swing), Robert Grose (covering the roles of Ray & José), Lauren Azania AJ King-Yombo, Jack Matthew (covering the role of Pedro), Newtion Matthews (covering the roles of Preacher & Hilton), and Marcellus Whyte (covering the role of Ivan).
NEED TO KNOW:
- Stratford East in association with Washington Square Films, Joshua Blum & Bruce Miller present the UK premiere of The Harder They Come, the newly adapted reggae musical based on the cult Jamaican film of the same name – 13 to 25 October 2025. See listing.
