At the peak of his 1970s success Ian Dury was the poet laureate of punk.  Part furious iconoclast, part music hall entertainer, he was one of the few true originals of the English music scene. But behind the diamond geezer image lay a flawed soul who was somewhat harder on his friends and musical colleagues

Hit Me! – The Life & Rhymes of Ian Dury is a suitably uncompromising celebration of the genius behind such hits as Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick and Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll. 

Starting in 1980, the play looks at three periods in the life of Dury – the man at the top of his game, the man who nearly blew it, and the man who gave his best to everything. In all these three periods his great lyrical dexterity was always to the forefront and never deserted him.

By his side throughout was his minder, tour manager and loyal friend Fred ‘Spider’ Rowe (Josh Darcy) who knew him better than any. The play explores their friendship and reveals the often turbulent life of one of British rock and roll’s best-loved characters.

A sell-out run of Hit Me! The Life & Rhymes Of Ian Dury at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival earned Jud Charlton a STAGE nomination for Best Actor.

This show contains explicit language.