| Standing at the Sky's Edge | |
|---|---|
 West End production poster | |
| Music | Richard Hawley |
| Lyrics | Richard Hawley |
| Book | Chris Bush |
| Basis | Three families in Park Hill estate |
| Premiere | 14 March 2019: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield |
| Productions | 2019 Sheffield 2022 Sheffield 2023 London 2024 West End |
| Awards | UK Theatre Awards South Bank Sky Arts Award Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical Laurence Olivier Award for Best Original Score or New Orchestrations |
Standing at the Sky's Edge is an Olivier Award-winning musical with music and lyrics by Richard Hawley and a book by Chris Bush.
The musical (named after Hawley's 2012 album of the same name) begins in 1961 and tells the story of three families over sixty years living in Park Hill, a council housing estate in Sheffield and features both new and existing songs by Hawley.
The musical had its world premiere at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, previewing from 14 March (with a press night on 20 March) and running until 6 April 2019. The production was directed by artistic director Robert Hastie, designed by Ben Stones and choreographed by Lynne Page. The cast featured Darragh Cowley, Nicole Deon, Louis Gaunt, Adam Hugill, Robert Lonsdale, Fela Lufadeju, Maimuna Memon, Johanne Murdock, Damian Myerscough, Alastair Natkiel, Faith Omole, Deborah Tracey, Rachael Wooding and Alex Young.[1]
Following the success of the 2019 production, the musical was revived at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, from 10 December 2022 to 21 January 2023, before transferring to the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre, London from 9 February to 25 March 2023.[2] The revival had been due to take place in 2020-21 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4]
The National Theatre co-production with Sheffield Theatres opened at the Olivier Theatre, London, on 9 February 2023 to favourable critical reaction.[5]
The musical transferred to London's West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from 8 February 2024 for an initial six-month season.[6] In November 2023, some casting was announced. Returning to the show are Samuel Jordan as Jimmy, Baker Mukasa as George, Alastair Natkiel as Marcus, Rachael Wooding as Rose. Elizabeth Ayodele, Joel Harper-Jackson, Sharlene Hector, Mel Lowe, Laura Pitt-Pulford, and Lauryn Redding join the West End cast.[7]
| Character | Sheffield[8] | Sheffield Revival[9] | National Theatre[10] | West End[11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Harry | Robert Lonsdale | Joel Harper-Jackson | ||
| Rose | Rachael Wooding | |||
| Joy | Faith Omole | Elizabeth Ayodele | ||
| Jimmy | Adam Hugill | Samuel Jordan | ||
| Poppy | Alex Young | Laura Pitt-Pulford | ||
| Nikki | Maimuna Memon | Lauryn Redding | ||
| Connie | Nicole Deon | Bobbie Little | Mel Lowe | |
| Grace / Alice | Deborah Tracey | Sharlene Hector | ||
| George | Fela Lufadeju | Baker Mukasa | ||
|
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| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | UK Theatre Awards[12] | Best Musical Production | Won | |
| 2020 | South Bank Sky Arts Award[13] | Theatre | Won | |
The show received eight nominations for the 2023 Olivier Awards, making it the most nominated musical of the season.[14]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Laurence Olivier Awards[14] | Best New Musical | Won | |
| Best Director | Robert Hastie | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Faith Omole | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Maimuna Memon | Nominated | ||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Lynne Page | Nominated | ||
| Best Set Design | Ben Stones | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound Design | Bobby Aitken | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Score or New Orchestrations | Richard Hawley and Tom Deering | Won | ||
The Original Live Cast Recording was recorded over three evenings in December 2022 during the Sheffield revival and mixed at the Arch Studios, Sheffield. The recording was released on 13 February 2023 and features 17 songs.[15]
In February 2023 it was announced that the show would be adapted by StudioCanal's RED Production Company into a four-part television series.[16]
