The full cast has been confirmed for the West End transfer of the double Olivier Award-winning Sheffield Theatres production of Standing at the Sky’s Edge.
Presented by the National Theatre and Various Productions, the winner of the 2023 Olivier Awards for Best New Musical and Best Original Score and New Orchestrations, is due to begin performances at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on 8 February 2024 ahead of a press night on 28 February. The West End production will feature a mixture of newcomers and returning actors.
As previously announced, new cast members will include Elizabeth Ayodele (Small Island, National Theatre) as Joy, Joel Harper-Jackson (Kinky Boots, UK tour) as Harry, Sharlene Hector (A Strange Loop, National Theatre) as Grace, Mel Lowe (Orlando, Garrick Theatre) as Connie, Laura Pitt-Pulford (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) as Poppy and Lauryn Redding (Bloody Elle, Royal Exchange) as Nikki. Returning to reprise their roles are: Samuel Jordan (Masters of the Air, Apple TV) as Jimmy, Baker Mukasa (The Comedy of Errors, Royal Shakespeare Company) as George, Alastair Natkiel (Line of Duty, BBC) as Marcus and Rachael Wooding (Pretty Woman: The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre) as Rose.
They will be joined by Jonathan Andre (Macbeth, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Lion King, Disney) as Max, Jonathon Bentley (From Here to Eternity, Aria Entertainment, Mamma Mia!, Littlestar) as Gary, with Mya Fox-Scott making her professional debut as Jenny.
Further returning actors include: Rachael Louise Miller (Les Misérables, Cameron Mackintosh, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Bill Kenwright Productions) as Cathy, Adam Price (Privates on Parade, Michael Grandage Company, Hairspray, Stage Entertainment) as Charles, Nicola Sloane (Backstairs Billy, Michael Grandage Company, London Road, National Theatre) as Vivienne, Lillie-Pearl Wildman (Sunset Boulevard, Jamie Lloyd Theatre Company; Cabaret, ATG/Underbelly) as Justine and David McKechnie (Flowers for Mrs Harris, Riverside Studios, Stepping Out, Stephen Joseph Theatre) as Joe/Workman.
The cast also includes Monique Ashe-Palmer, Adam Colbeck-Dunn, Viquichele Cross, Jamie Doncaster, Caroline Fitzgerald, Jerome Lincoln, Sean McLevy and Karen Wilkinson. The young company, completing the cast, is made up of Alayna Anderson, Luca Foster-Lejeune, Renee Hart, Eric Madgwick, Chioma Nduka and Sam Stocks.
Described as a love letter to Sheffield, the musical was a hit with critics and audiences when it made its sold-out debut in Sheffield in 2019. First commissioned by Sheffield Theatres and Various Productions, the musical which combines new and classic songs by award-winning singer/songwriter Richard Hawley is inspired by the people of his home city of Sheffield.
The musical which features a book by playwright Chris Bush follows the fortunes of three families through 60 turbulent years in the high-rise Park Hill area of the city.
The musical returned to the Crucible Theatre in December 2022, selling out again, before making its London debut early last year in the National Theatre’s Olivier Theatre where it also played to sold-out houses.
Directed by Sheffield Theatres’ artistic director Robert Hastie, the production’s creative team also includes set and costume designer Ben Stones, choreographer Lynne Page, music supervisor, arranger and orchestrator Tom Deering, lighting designer Mark Henderson, sound design Bobby Aitken and wigs, hair and make-up designer Cynthia De La Rosa.
Standing at the Sky’s Edge won the Best Musical category of the 2023 Evening Standard Theatre Awards. The musical has also won the Best Musical Production award at the UK Theatre Awards in 2019 and the 2020 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Theatre.
Angela Thomas
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