"'im was 'ere but 'im disappear..." sing Pinky & Precious

I experienced the singular joy of seeing 'The Harder They Come' again tonight for the fourth time. It is a magnificent production but it's closing in a couple of weeks, so it was a fond farewell to the show.

Ivan, Pinky, Pedro, Precious, Ray Pierre, Miss Daisy, Numero Uno, Hilton and the rest of the characters start to populate the consciousness after a while - when we saw the Jamaican girl win the Olympic 100m both Chris and I imagined Pinky in that race in her white kinky boots, stopping half-way to ring the DJ and fluff up her 'fro before finishing the race and winning in record time. That's Pinky for you!

The show started at the Stratford East, transferred to the Barbican (where I first saw it) and then to the Playhouse Theatre but, from tonight's performance, you'd think it was the opening night from the energy and commitment of the entire cast. Two and a half hours (including the ganga break) of singing and dancing, with the entire cast (except Ivan) on stage for the entire time. That's pretty good going. It must be exhausting but I, for one, really appreciate it.

I've seen the show three previous times so that's three reviews already blogged, so tonight I'll give the marvellous cast a name check:

Ivan - Ivan is the Jimmy Cliff character played by Rolan Bell with wit, energy and dollops of charisma, he's got a great voice and presence. He jumps around stage like a thing possessed, singing and dancing and acting up a storm. He should go far!

Elsa - the hapless girlfriend who gets caught up in Ivan's life and dreams and problems, played by Joanna Francis, great voice and comic timing.

Pedro - rastaman and ganga farmer, ably played by Marlon King with the great skill of keeping a massive joint alight in the ganga song that ends the first half. He's got a lovely understated way of playing the character. Blessed love, Pedro.

Pinky - dancehall queen and all-round gorgeous person, played by Susan Lawson-Reynolds who also co-choreographed the show. I was disappointed to see Miss Daisy tell Pinky to pull her miniskirt further down to cover her thighs tonight and Pinky did so - so much for radical chic Pinky! Pinky is a great hero of the revolution and make-believe radio reporter. A great character!

Miss Daisy - she's Ivan's mam who left the countryside for big city Kingston and ably played by Joy Mack. My favourite bit isn't when she's grilling Ivan abouit her mother's estate, it's when she attacks the armed police with an empty rum bottle (well, you wouldn't fight off police with a full bottle!).

Hilton - oooo slimy, slimy Hilton, Mr 10%, who runs the music biz in Kingston, played to a tee by Marcus Powell, except he plays him to 90%!

Ray Pierre - the police chief played by the great Chris Tummings who has a wonderful audience participation moment in the second half while he sings Toots' 'Pressure Drop' where he calls us all 'huggly' for hiding Ivan from him. He's a scary thing on stage and is totally undone when he comes on for the encore all wreathed in smiles.

Preacher - Preacher is a scary character played by the marvellous Victor Romero Evans in an awful wig but whose eyes dart daggers at Ivan every time he's on stage throughout the play. He wants Elsa but it's never gonna happen.

Precious - the sassy Precious is Pinky's side-kick, ably played by Karlene Wray, teasing the audience and introducing us to the queen of the dancehalls, Pinky. Precious and Pinky bring the second half to life as pretend radio journalists during the hunt for Ivan.

Longa/Numero Uno - Derek Elroy plays two comic parts bring some much needed light relief to the plot, as the Preacher's gardener Longa, and as DJ Numero Uno who Pinky rings up now and then to ask for music. He's got excellent timing and a face that tells a thousand stories (just not all at the same time).

Sergeant - played by Christopher JA Murrell, a violent personage with a huge smile and voice.

Jose - drug dealer extraordinaire, played by Joe Speare (except for tonight when an understudy played the part whose name I didn't get).

Photographer - played my Matthew J Henry

Miss Brown - played by Jacqui Dubois, putting her all into the dance moves and singing and selling the most fabulous of hats!

Singer - played by Kirk Patterson.

The band is shit-hot too, playing on stage for the entire performance and afterwards as we troop out of the theatre: Perry Melius, Wayne Nunes, Darren Benjamin, Gregory Assing, Adrian McKenzie, Alan Weeks and Peter Lee. Well done chaps!

It was written by Perry Henzell and directed by Kerry Michael and Dawn Reid. They deserve massive credit for this show but it's the actors and the wonderful music I'll remember. I've said it before and I'll say it again - why isn't Jimmy Cliff a huge mega-star singer and writer outside of reggae? He's written some timeless masterpieces and they should be recognised as such.

Thank you to everyone involved in this production - it's a most wonderful night out at the theatre and I'm just puzzled about why its not sold out and running for the next year. I want a cast recording please - the choir version of 'Higher and Higher' is magnificent - and a DVD. I have the programme and the tee shirt with the legend, 'I was here, but I disappear'. That's what Ivan says when he's on the run - the hero doesn't die until the final reel of the film.

I love this show and will remember it for a long time to come... I want it to go on forever.