Standing at the Sky’s Edge – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Faith Omole in Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. Picture: Johan Persson

Standing at the Sky’s Edge continues at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until 21 January 2023. The production transfers to the Olivier, National Theatre from 9 February to 25 March 2023.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Following an award-winning premiere in 2019 Standing at the Sky’s Edge returns to its roots with style. The musical (book by Chris Bush with music and lyrics from Richard Hawley) shows Sheffield in a very real, warts and all light, but no matter where you’re from, the themes explored throughout the two act show will have some familiarity – even if you have no idea what Henderson’s Relish is!

Set in a singular flat on the infamous Park Hill estate, the show follows three women and their families’ lives over the years they live there. Designer Ben Stones has worked wonders with the staging, providing a flat layout that is suitable to span 60 years and three generations, remaining both functional and fashionable throughout. The external harsh concrete walls and balconies of other flats above the main set are used to house musical director John Rutledge’s extremely talented eight-strong band, as well as the ‘street in the sky’ thoroughfare for both characters and company.

The detailing in the set really surprised me – with clearly running water in the taps and working fridge and freezer – a stroke of genius which only serves to further invest you into the lives and stories unfolding before you. Mark Henderson also deserves a shout out for his excellent lighting – from the under-lighting on the stage floor, which both sets the boundaries of the space the families live in and promotes some of the brutalist architecture of the building (while also spotlighting the cast during some of the musical numbers), to the expertly captured dingy street lighting in front of the band’s ‘flat’ and across to the very accurate reproduction of the famous ‘I Love You Will U Marry Me’ graffiti which adorns one of the bridges of the estate.

Stones is also on duty as costume designer, and his careful choices in tandem with Cynthia De La Rosa’s hair and make up design means there is little doubt as to which time period(s) we are watching at any given moment, and the progression of the timelines. However, for those that are unsure, there are three digital clocks which keep the audience updated on the passage of time throughout.

As director, Robert Hastie has triumphed in this show, as this is one effortless looking production. The use of space is stunning, especially during scenes where the families and timelines overlap. A standout moment is when all three families and timelines are having dinner in the space of the flat, simultaneously continuing their stories. As one gets up to the oven, another takes their place, and so on. Technical brilliance.

Moving on to the cast and characters now, and the casting director Stuart Burt has assembled a powerhouse of talent, with many names returning from the original production.

There’s clear chemistry between the 1960s couple Rose (Rachael Wooding) and Harry (Robert Lonsdale) who are among the first to move into the brand new flats – designed to be the answer to the post-war slum problems, and a home of community. Their story is not an easy one, and both convey the journey of their relationship with nuance and skill, a highlight moment of the show being Lonsdale’s rendition of ‘My Little Treasures’ which is full of struggle and emotion.

The second family start their tenure in the flat in the 1980s, having fled from Liberia, with the main focus being around the character of Joy (Faith Omole), who we see transition beautifully from scared child to successful adult. Omole is an absolute powerhouse whose voice is absolutely stunning, giving swathes of the audience goosebumps with its depth and vibrato.

Joy moves with her aunt Grace (Deborah Tracey) and cousin George (Baker Mukasa, who has his own brilliant moment leading the main company in ‘Tonight the Streets Are Ours’) and we see her relationship with childhood sweetheart Jimmy (Samuel Jordan) bloom into marriage with a child, Constance.

I must also mention the amazing work of the dialect coaches – Shereen Ibrahim (Liberian) and Michaela Kennen (Sheffield) – as their work is evident. The whole cast sounds spot on and Joy’s first Sheffield inflection of Jim-meh is an absolutely delightful moment of comic relief in a rather tense situation.

Their departure from the flat in the 00s allows (after renovations and a few years have taken place) for Poppy to move in, fresh from a traumatic breakup and looking to start anew. Played by Alex Young, who excels in conveying someone who has had their heart utterly broken but desperately trying to make things work, the past catches up in the form of her ex Nikki (Maimuna Memon) whose unexpected and unwelcome arrival at the flat is heralded by the emotionally charged soulful number ‘Open Up Your Door’. The chemistry and interplay between these two characters is intense and draws you into their passionate conflict with ease.

As previously mentioned, the show is simultaneously telling these three stories, and with good reason, as the superb writing gradually reveals that the three lives focused on are also intertwined, as they link in their lives as well as on the stage.

It would be remiss to not mention narrator Connie (Bobbie Little) who in addition to being the estate agent who sells Poppy the flat, also grows up there, as Constance – just one example of the way these lives connect in both time and community. Little is great in her role, with the spoken word driving the narrative and timeline along, and adding an additional perspective and commentary to the events unfolding – not just in Sheffield, but around the country, allowing everyone to relate to the underlying atmospheres on the streets at those times. Her harmonies also blend beautifully with the leads in particular.

This is absolutely a show worth seeing, and while the setting and location may be a little alien to some, the sense of community, family and warmth will be something everyone is able to relate to. Though Hawley’s songs weren’t written specifically for the musical, Tom Deering’s arrangements and orchestrations mean that you simply cannot tell. I for one really hope there will be a cast recording because these arrangements need to be heard.

Sara Smith