The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Description
'You'd think it should be the simplest thing. Walking. Just one foot in front of the other. But it never ceases to amaze me how complicated things can be.'
Harold Fry never meant to be a hero. An ordinary man in an ordinary life, until a letter from a long-lost friend sends him out the front door... and he keeps on walking.
Strangers turn into companions, kindness appears in unexpected places, and the road reveals more than Harold ever imagined. Back home, his wife Maureen begins her own journey, one that might bring them together again.
Funny, profound and uplifting, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a joyous celebration of the human spirit, adapted by Rachel Joyce from her multi-million-selling novel, with music and lyrics by the chart-topping musician Passenger.
Originally commissioned by Chris Harper Productions, it was first performed in a critically acclaimed, sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2025. The production transferred to the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, in 2026, directed by Katy Rudd, starring Mark Addy and Jenna Russell.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Rachel Joyce is a novelist and dramatist.
Her debut novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was longlisted for the 2012 Man Booker Prize. A feature film adaptation was released in 2023. A stage musical based on the book, written by Joyce herself with music by Passenger, was staged at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, in 2025 and in the West End in 2026.
She has written plays for BBC Radio 4, and jointly won the 2007 Tinniswood Award for her radio play To Be a Pilgrim.
Author photo by Pål Hansen
