By Richard Johnson—
Observer senior writer—
Bob Marley—
YET another musical celebrating the life of Bob Marley is set for the stage. Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical is scheduled to open in June at the Lyric Theatre in London 40 years after his death.
With unlimited access to Marley’s music catalogue, the team of Lee Hall (writer), Clint Dyer (director) and Arinzé Kene (playing Marley) captures the rebellious spirit and story of the reggae king who died in May 1981 at age 36. They trace his story from rural Jamaica, to gritty Trench Town and superstardom.
In a piece written for the UK’s Evening Standard, Grey expressed pleasure at being assigned to head the production.
“The deepest sense of achievement fills me, and I pause to take in air as the weight and responsibility of that lands like an iron door falling on Bugs Bunny, leaving him flattened and wide-eyed. What a bloody honor! Especially considering I’m of Jamaican heritage and Marley is not only a hero but like the North Star to me,” he gushed.
“As I have, as an actor, writer, director, across theatre, film and television, had to endure such a multitude of disingenuous behavior, such as racism and bias, it’s a wonder I stayed in it [unlike many black peers] or out of frustration, didn’t resort to the violence I grew up amongst, in the then National Front stronghold of East London. Everything I have achieved has been hard-fought and sometimes the result of a humiliating hustle,” Grey added.
Kene is the only named member of the cast at this time. He is a writer and performer whose Olivier Award-nominated one-man play, Misty, ran at the Bush Theatre to critical acclaim and transferred to the West End. His other theatre credits include playing Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami, Joe Scott in Girl From The North Country, and Biff in Death of A Salesman.
On television, Kene has appeared in Informer, Flack, I Am… Crazyhead, and The Long Song. His film credits include Michaela Coel’s Been So Long, The Pass, How to Build A Girl and I’m Your Woman.
London was the scene of many triumphs for Marley. He was signed to Island Records which was based there; did his landmark Live! at the Lyceum concert in 1975 and recorded his acclaimed 1977 album, Exodus, at Island’s Basin Street studios.
Previous musicals based on the life of the reggae superstar include Three Little Birds, based on a book by Marley’s daughter Cedella; Marley in 2015, which was later renamed One Love: The Bob Marley Musical in 2017; and, Nesta’s Rock, created by the Jamaica Musical Theatre Company in 2015, which was loosely based on Marley’s early years and the move from his birthplace in Nine Miles, St Ann, to Trench Town in Kingston.
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