Reviews: Standing at the Sky's Edge

Driven by the beating drum of Richard Hawley's classic tunes, this love letter to a Sheffield estate is incredibly powerful. Written by Sheffield local Chris Bush, the play is littered with inside jokes for those who grew up there, while also holding universal themes of family, love and passion for where you come from.

Following the story of three generations of families who live inside one block of Park Hill – Sheffield's brutalist housing estate – the story is about curating community. We meet characters on three different timelines in the same flat: in the ‘60s bright and beaming Harry and Rose are thrilled to move in; refugee Joy lives there during the rundown period of the ‘80s; in the present, posh newcomer Poppy is attempting to persuade her snooty parents that she has bought an iconic ‘chic’ pad. All three storylines notoriously hate the same kitchen sink, and all of them have highs and lows in the same living room.

The layering of lives in the same space is seamless. On occasion, they are all having dinner at the same table simultaneously, chopping and changing between timelines as the characters speak to one another. The set design replicates the concrete brutalist building with ease, with impressive textures and stairwells making it a dynamic playground for the characters and their chorus.

Much more impactful than your usual jukebox musical, Standing at the Sky's Edge has a power to it that I was not expecting. I think that comes from having the musicians at the heart of the piece, performing from inside the building itself, in an exposed room raised above the central stage. From there, the musical performances are stunning, with strong string elements complementing ripples of bold electric guitar. The band is versatile, swapping between retro solo ballads and fiery pop hits with ease. Audience members who had never heard of Hawley were still adoring the tracks and the sentiments that they bring to the characters that sing them. A favourite of mine was ‘Open Up The Door’ – a song I have been streaming from the live cast recording ever since.

This is a musical for those who love musicals and for those who hate them. It is dynamic and exciting, if not slightly predictable once you figure out the link between all the characters. I would highly recommend this for students of all ages, especially if you are looking for a promising jukebox musical case study.