Standing at the Sky's Edge: Chris Bush on playwriting

When you think of ‘Northern’ drama, what springs to mind? As Chris Bush, writer of new musical Standing at the Sky's Edge puts it, usually this is can evoke one type of story: something that is very white and monocultural.

In her new production, Bush was determined to subvert the norm. ‘I wanted to do something far more kaleidoscopic, to show the side of the multifaceted sides of the city that people might be less aware of, and also what Sheffield meant to me,’ she says.

I am speaking to Bush ahead of a rehearsal where they will be tweaking the multi-award winning show for the West End transfer, following sold-out runs at the National Theatre and Sheffield Theatres. Originally written as a love letter to Sheffield, the production charts the hopes and dreams of three generations over the course of six tumultuous decades, as they navigate universal themes of love, loss and survival.