'The Harder They Come' at The Playhouse Theatre

I saw 'The Harder They Come', the stage version of the Jimmy Cliff film, at The Barbican back in March and it has magically transferred to the Playhouse Theatre, so had to see it again.

It's largely the same cast (except Victor Romero Evans now plays the preacher and Marlon King plays the rastaman, Pedro) and they work excellently together. It must be very tiring for them since almost all of the cast are on stage the entire time, many are around the theatre and on stage as we all trooped in, making it feel like we're part of the event, and some are on stage during the interval watching a spaghetti western projected on the back wall. I was worried to see Chris Tummings as the police chief standing outside the door to the stalls, glowering at the theatre-goers as we entered and I avoided eye-contact - I didn't want him to pick on me in the second act and call me 'hugly'! He's got a great line in put-downs for hecklers when he confronts the audience in the second act for hiding Ivan and I didn't want it aimed at me! It was fun that they stayed in character throughout, like when Pedro said we could have a 15 minute ganga break at the end of the first act (but they didn't have any behind the bar).

The star of the show is Rolan Bell as Ivan (the Jimmy Cliff role), energetic and very likelable, bounding round the stage, singing and dancing, flirting with Pinky, rude boy and hero rolled into one. He's got great stage presence and a great voice. It'll be interesting to see what he does next.

The other star, for me, is Pinky, dance-hall queen and rude girl in her tiny red mini-dress, white boots and big afro. She knows she's good looking and makes sure you know she's good looking, flirting with everything in trousers. She's played by Susan Lawson-Reynolds (who is also credited as assistant choreographer) and she gets all the best moves. She bounces well off her co-rude girl, Precious (Karlene Wray) but it's Pinky all the way for me!

The rest of the cast and musicians are all excellent as well and it's a thoroughly enjoyable production, sending us out into the night at the end singing along to 'You Can Get It If You Really Want'. And that's quite odd in a way since the play is about violence and death and corruption and drugs, but the music and performances are uplifting.

Go and see it. If you like good theatre - go and see it. If you like good music and reggae - go and see it. If you like a good night out - go and see it. If you hate theatre and music - go and see it and it'll change your mind. The message is - go and see it! I will see it again and, if they do a cast recording, I'll definitely buy it! I hope it plays for a long time.

What am I saying again...? O yes, GO AND SEE IT!