THE HARDER THEY COME To Return To Stratford East In 2026

Theatre Royal Stratford East has announced that the reggae musical THE HARDER THEY COME will return to Stratford East following its 2025 run.

The production will play from May 16 through July 4, 2026, presented by Stratford East in association with Washington Square Films, Joshua Blum, and Bruce Miller. Tickets will go on sale on February 6 at 12:00 p.m., with prices starting at £10.

Based on the 1972 Jamaican film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone, The Harder They Come follows Ivan, an aspiring singer who arrives in Kingston determined to succeed on his own terms. After signing with a manipulative music producer, Ivan learns that the industry is rigged against him, and his rise to fame places him at the center of both popular culture and criminal notoriety.

The stage adaptation is written by Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Olivier Award winner Matthew Xia. Casting for the 2026 return engagement has not yet been announced.

Lisa Spirling and Hanna Streeter said, “We're beyond thrilled to bring back The Harder They Come after its phenomenal success in 2025. Suzan-Lori Parks' stunning adaptation and Matthew Xia's joyous direction ignited the Stratford East stage and captured the hearts of audiences night after night. We couldn't be prouder of the entire creative team and company whose extraordinary work turned this production into a smash hit. We can't wait to share that energy all over again.”

Matthew Xia added, “As the DJ says in ‘The Harder They Come', ‘It's a hit because you people made it a hit'—and it turns out that isn't just a line in a play, it's exactly what happened at Stratford East. Coming back now feels like a celebration of Jimmy Cliff's legacy and of the audiences who showed up and claimed this story. I'm thrilled and as proud as (rum) punch that The Harder They Come is returning, just as big, bold, and revolutionary as before.”

The production features a score built around classic songs by Jimmy Cliff, including “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Many Rivers to Cross,” alongside additional music by artists such as Desmond Dekker and Toots and the Maytals, as well as new songs written by Parks.

The creative team includes set designer Simon Kenny, costume designer Jessica Cabassa, lighting designer Ciarán Cunningham, live sound designer Tony Gayle, sound designer Nicola T. Chang, choreographer and intimacy director Shelley Maxwell, video designer Gino Ricardo Green, original musical director Ashton Moore, orchestrator Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, casting director Heather Basten CDG, fight director Claire Llewellyn for RC Annie, voice and dialect coach Aundrea Fudge, assistant director Emily Aboud, costume supervisor Claire Nicholas, and creative and cultural consultant Justine Henzell.