Gillian Lynne Theatre, London – until 3 August 2024
Reviewed by Emily Smith
4****
Standing at the Sky’s Edge tells the story of the Park Hill Estate in Sheffield through the music of Richard Hawley, of Longpigs and Pulp fame, and a cleverly written story by Chris Bush. The show focuses on three families who each arrive in Park Hill at different stages of life, different political times, and different life cycles of the infamous estate. As a British musical, it provides a raw insight into the lives of those living in the north of the country through the changing political times and the challenges that arose from this. There is little more that can be said without ruining the story for those who will grab the opportunity to get tickets!
You may be thinking… how can you fit a large, concrete, quite brutalist, housing estate into a West End theatre in London? Well, Ben Stones manages it, and magnificently so. The set design is simplistic in its monotone colour palette but is brought to life by the characters that inhabit it, despite the timeline spanning over 60 years. The movement of the actors around the set and across the stage is well-choreographed by Lynne Page, filling all the corners and balconies of the large space.
The incredible musicians, take us from Richard Hawley’s edgy-rocky numbers, through to country/folk, and then back to beautiful orchestral pieces. During the catchy number ‘I’m Looking for Someone to Find Me’, I did wonder if I had witnessed La La Land coming to life in the West End as it brought the same energy and light as the opening number of the film. Likewise, one of my favourite numbers of the night was ‘Tonight the Streets Are Ours’ delivered by Baker Mukasa (George), which felt like stepping into a joyous episode of Call The Midwife from the 1960s.
The standout performances for me came from Laura Pitt-Pulford (Poppy) and Lauryn Redding (Nikki) who delivered incredible vocals, with a particular mention to Lauryn’s version of ‘Open Up Your Door’ which gave me goosebumps with her unique tone and sensitivity of the performance. Lauryn also brought some much-needed northern humour to the stage with her comedic deliveries, in this otherwise quite sombre show. Another mention should be given to Mel Lowe (Connie) who takes the role of narrator through most of the performance before being given time to showcase her beautiful vocals towards the end.
For me, the mixture of hand-held microphones and traditionally wired microphones was slightly confusing, at times giving a ‘live concert’ feel, before returning to ‘traditional’ musical style. It was also unclear whether the songs reflected a progression of the story, or not, but nevertheless they were beautifully delivered throughout.
I have never seen a faster standing ovation than when the final number concluded. The roar of the crowd was unanimous.
I am left somewhat speechless by this production; being a huge fan of London’s musical theatre scene, this show is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Whilst there are musical numbers, I’d be hard pushed to describe it as a true ‘musical’ in the sense that many would recognise. In Richard Hawley’s own words “I was definitely very keen for it to not be a happy la-la-la sort of musical – it was always going to be a bit dark” and this is very apparent. It is a piece of theatrical art, that has to be seen to be understood.
This incredibly talented cast and creative truly deserve the rave reviews they are receiving, and I hope this production continues to move all those who go to see it.