Reggae musical marks new collaboration of TRSE and Barbican

Published Wednesday 24 October 2007 at 15:35 by Alistair Smith

Exclusive: Jimmy Cliff musical The Harder They Come is to transfer to the Barbican Centre next year, in a move which marks the first such partnership between the venue and Theatre Royal Stratford East.

The show has already played two stints at Stratford East and had been expected to transfer to the West End. But it has now secured a deal which will see the show play at the Barbican Theatre for a five-week run from March 6.

The project marks the culmination of a series of collaborations between the Barbican and Stratford East, which has also seen the venues work together on a site-specific project - Small Metal Objects - at Stratford Station and the AfroReggae project, both as part of BITE.

A series of film and music events are being planned to complement the stage show, while the production will also be expanded for the Barbican, with a larger set and cast, as well as more musicians.

Actors are in the process of being contracted for the show, but the centre has said that it is “optimistic” it will include the same performers as the original production. The show is billed as a “revival supported by barbicanbite08” and it is understood the Barbican is providing financial support.

Barbican director of theatre Louise Jeffreys said: “We’ll be slightly expanding the cast, because it’s a bigger stage, and the set will be redesigned to fit that stage. Because the show is adapted from the film, we feel it makes sense with our cinema audiences and because of the music connection, it will also appeal to our music audiences. And there’s the international connection with the Jamaican influence.”