William 'Bunny Rugs' Clarke, lead singer of Third World. - Contributed

The theatrical production of The Harder They Come returns to the United Kingdom stage this year, with performances at the prestigious Barbican Centre and the Birmingham Hippodrome from March to April.

This follows sell-out runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East last year and in 2006. The production at the Barbican Centre will run from March 6 to April 5, before moving to the Birmingham Hippodrome from April 11 to 13.

The Harder They Come is based on the iconic 1970s film starring international reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, which was produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor Rhone. It tells the story of young Ivan Martin, who heads to Kingston with dreams of becoming a reggae star, but the harsh reality of the Jamaican music scene drives him to a fast and furious life as an outlaw.

The Barbican cast will include Roland Bell and Joanna Francis, who were part of the 2006 and 2007 performances.

Rich musical heritage

Classic songs from the film's soundtrack including You Can Get It If You Really Want and By the Rivers of Babylon will be performed to accompaniment by a live reggae band.

To complement the stage production, Barbican Films will present a two-week 'Film Jamaica' cinema season from March 12 to March 30. The season will celebrate the island's rich musical heritage.

Film producer Justine Henzell, daughter of Perry Henzell, who died in 2006, will introduce the screening of the original version of The Harder They Come on Wednesday, March 12.

In addition, internationally renowned dub poet, Jamaican-born Linton Kwesi Johnson, will perform at the Barbican Hall on March 9, sharing the stage with Dennis Bovell's Dub Band, Winston Francis, Jean 'Binta' Breeze and Shirley Thompson.

The Barbican Centre is the largest multi-arts centre in Europe, featuring art, film, music, theatre, dance and education under one roof.