Standing at the Sky’s Edge to transfer into the West End 

Fresh off the back of two Olivier Award wins, Standing at the Sky’s Edge has announced it will transfer to the West End. 

Co-produced by the National Theatre with Sheffield Theatres in association with Various Productions, the piece received a glowing review from WhatsOnStage during its 2022 run at the Crucible in Sheffield. 

Described as “a love letter to Sheffield and ode to the iconic Park Hill Estate”, the musical follows three generations over the course of six tumultuous decades. It features a book by Chris Bush and songs by Richard Hawley.

Directed by Robert Hastie, the 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 designer Bobby Aitken, wigs, hair and make-up designer Cynthia De La Rosa and music director John Rutledge. 

Hawley reflected today: “In all honesty I never really thought this story would leave the inside of our minds but to see it blossom and grow from a heartfelt set of ideas exchanged in a Sheffield pub to sell out shows at the Crucible and National theatres every single night has been a very powerful experience.

“The drive, focus and determination to allow the voices and history of Park Hill to be heard at last by everyone involved has been equally mind-blowing. This would’ve been more than enough for me to say the least…but the West End?…next you’ll be telling me Sheffield Wednesday are going up this season!”

Bush said: “Making Standing at the Sky’s Edge has been the most extraordinary and rewarding experience of my professional career. To see audiences at the National Theatre leap to their feet for these characters and these stories with the same enthusiasm as those in Sheffield has meant the world to me.

“For all its hyper-specificity, the last few months have cemented for us that these themes of home, of love, of fresh starts and second chances, are utterly universal. I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ll get to introduce Park Hill to a whole new set of audiences in 2024.”

Hastie added: “We’ve all been thrilled by the response to Standing at the Sky’s Edge during great runs at the Sheffield Crucible and the National Theatre. It’s a massive achievement by everyone involved to have told this story with such passion and commitment that we’re now able to announce this transfer to the Gillian Lynne, the perfect theatre for this story’s next chapter. I’m enormously proud and excited.”

Standing at the Sky’s Edge will run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from February 2024, following on from the West End run of Crazy for You. Dates, including assisted performances, casting and booking information to be announced.

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