Review: The Harder They Come (Stratford East)

Review by Matthew Plampton

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can the spirit of Jamaican rebellion, born of gritty 1970s cinema, survive the journey onto a musical theatre stage with its soul intact? Suzan-Lori Parks' adapted reggae musical, The Harder They Come, is attempting just that, returning to Stratford East following its sold-out 2025 premiere. And the answer is a resounding, hip-swaying, triumphant yes.

Based on Perry Henzell's landmark 1972 film, the first feature ever produced entirely in Jamaica, The Harder They Come follows Ivan, a young man with a powerful singing voice and an unshakeable belief that he is destined for stardom. Arriving in Kingston from the countryside, he is immediately conned out of his belongings and thrown into the city's chaotic hustle. He finds work, falls in love, and eventually records a song that could change everything. When the system reveals itself to be rigged against him at every turn, Ivan's defiance pulls him towards both fame and infamy. Parks has wisely softened the film's more brutal edges, giving Ivan a clearer moral compass and deepening the female characters considerably, while asking what the personal cost of fighting systemic injustice truly is. It is a story that earns its emotional weight without ever losing its sense of fun.

The musical influences at work here are among the production's greatest strengths. Jimmy Cliff's iconic compositions form the basis of the score, with ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’, ‘Many Rivers to Cross’, and the electrifying title track all present and correct. Parks has contributed original songs that are woven so seamlessly into the fabric of the score that they never feel like additions or afterthoughts; Elsa's ballad ‘Hymn’ is genuinely beautiful, and ‘The Time Is Now’, Ivan's dancehall breakthrough moment, crackles with theatrical purpose. You could be forgiven for assuming every number has the same vintage, such is the care taken to blend the new material with the classics. The live band, tucked into the upper tier of the set, delivers an infectious rhythmic drive that gives the evening its pulse.

Natey Jones is a magnetic Ivan. He possesses a swaggering charisma that ensures you root for the character even as his choices grow reckless. His vocals carry both grit and sweetness, as when he sings the title number, arriving late in the first act, it is a showstopper. It is a finely calibrated performance, comic when it needs to be, devastating when the stakes demand it. Madeline Charlemagne matches him as Elsa, charting a compelling arc from devout obedience to fierce independence. Her vocals are luminous and contrast powerfully in her duet with Daisy during ‘Many Rivers to Cross’. 

As strong as both leads are, the performance that will stay with me longest belongs to Rachel John as Ivan's mother, Daisy. In the first act she is a gentle, grounding presence, the voice of caution urging her son to return to the countryside. It is in the second act that she becomes extraordinary. As Ivan's trajectory darkens and he turns away from the faith she has built her life around, John plays Daisy's refusal to accept his life with a soulful, vocally powerful intensity that commands the entire theatre. There is nothing restrained about it; she sings with the full force of a woman whose love and conviction are inseparable, pouring everything into every note. All of this builds to her rendition of ‘Many Rivers to Cross’, which expands from a solo into a sweeping ensemble piece that filled the theatre with palpable emotion. It was the highlight of the evening, a moment where the entire auditorium seemed to hold its breath and then exhale as one. It is the kind of performance that reminds you why live theatre can reach places that no other art form can.

The wider supporting company deserves warm praise too. Ashley Samuels finds a delicious comic register as the hypocritical Preacher, strutting with self-importance and undone by his own appetites. The ensemble, meanwhile, is the lifeblood of the production: a tireless, versatile company who conjure the chaotic vitality of Kingston's streets, the ecstasy of a dancehall crowd, and the prayerful intensity of a church congregation with equal conviction. Their collective energy is enormous, and they bring real commitment to every moment they inhabit.

Simon Kenny's set design is one of the production's great triumphs. A two-tiered construction of corrugated iron, breeze blocks, and weathered timber, it evokes a crowded Kingston with striking depth and specificity. Staircases connect the levels; Ivan and Elsa's room perches at the back like a secret. The band occupies part of this upper storey, reinforcing the sense that music emanates from the very architecture of the community. Combined with Ciarán Cunningham's lighting, which shifts through greens, golds, and reds, and Jessica Cabassa's period-perfect costumes, the overall visual impression is of a world that is simultaneously beautiful and harsh, vibrant and precarious.

If the production has areas that could add to its power, they centre on two elements. Shelley Maxwell's choreography is culturally grounded and suits the world of the piece, but the ensemble numbers too often feel safe when they could really explode. The group routines could be bigger, bolder, and more ambitious; this is a show with Kingston's dancehalls and street life at its core, and the movement vocabulary should match that energy with more daring and spectacle. A church fantasy sequence in the first act gestures towards something audacious but pulls back just when it should fully commit. Additionally, the first act runs long; Parks' book is ambitious in its world-building, and there are stretches where the pacing slackens rather than driving forward. A tighter first half would sharpen the dramatic arc and ensure the emotional payoff of the second act lands with maximum force. 

Those reservations aside, The Harder They Come is a genuinely fun and vibrant evening of musical theatre. It brings a Kingston-based story to the Stratford East stage with warmth, energy, and real cultural specificity, powered by an irresistible soundtrack and a company performing at the top of their game. You’ll leave humming, you may well leave moved, and you’ll almost certainly leave wanting to dance. 

The Harder They Come plays at Stratford East until 4th July. Tickets from stratfordeast.com

Photos by Pamela Raith