Standing at the Sky’s Edge is a musical written by Chris Bush, scored by two time Mercury Prize and BRIT Award nominee Richard Hawley, and directed by Robert Hastie. This Sheffield production at The Crucible is a masterpiece, blending top-tier musical performances and engaging storylines with realistic characters.
I laughed, l learned, and I cried. The writing playfully balances serious moments critiquing gentrification, microaggressions, yuppie politics, and knife crime, amongst other subjects with great humour and witty dialogue. The story perfectly captures the range of human experiences. The set design meshes beautifully with the plot, with concurring timelines of Park Hill, beginning in the late 60s, into the late 80s, through to 2016, showcasing aspirations to make the most of what seems like a great opportunity to make a better life. This blends and produces a tangible timeline of the history and politics of modern Britain, referencing the Steel strike, miners’ strike, Liberian Civil War, Sheffield’s welcoming of refugees, Brexit, and the 2019 general election. It doesn’t shove this down your throat. Rather, it’s an important backdrop that allows the characters to really shine. An aspiring foreman and his supportive wife, an African family escaping civil war, and a heartbroken woman escaping London and her past. These characters cleverly demonstrate the history of Sheffield and take us through the daily struggles that many of us across a diverse society face.
Overall, this play is a steal, and I really recommend you catch this excellent multimedia artistic experience. It’s a wonderful ode to Sheffield which marks the 50th year of the Crucible.
Standing at the Sky’s Edge is playing at the Crucible until 21st January 2023. Tickets are available here.
