: Chris Bush, Richard Hawley
: Standing at the Sky's Edge (West End edition)
: Nick Hern Books
: 9781788507752
: NHB Modern Plays
: 1
: CHF 13.70
:
: Dramatik
: English
: 120
: Wasserzeichen
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
Hailed as'the most exciting new British musical in years' (WhatsOnStage), Standing at the Sky's Edge was originally written as a love letter to Sheffield, charting the hopes and dreams of three generations over the course of six tumultuous decades, navigating universal themes of love, loss and survival. With irresistible songs by legendary singer-songwriter Richard Hawley and a beautiful, hilarious and gut-wrenching book by Chris Bush, Standing at the Sky's Edge reveals the history of modern Britain through the stories of a landmark housing estate. It is a heartfelt exploration of the power of community and what it is we all call home. It was first performed at Sheffield Theatres in 2019, directed by Robert Hastie, before transferring to the National Theatre in 2023, and then the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London's West End in 2024. It won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, the UK Theatre Award for Best Musical Production and the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Theatre.

Chris Bush is a playwright, lyricist and theatre-maker. Her plays include: Otherland (Almeida Theatre, London, 2025); Robin Hood and the Christmas Heist written with Matt Winkworth (Rose Theatre, Kingston, 2024); an adaptation of Ibsen's A Doll's House (Sheffield Theatres, 2024); Rock/Paper/Scissors (Sheffield Theatres, 2022); an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, and New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme, 2022); (Not) the End of the World (Schaubühne, Berlin, 2021); Hungry (Paines Plough, 2021); Nine Lessons and Carols (Almeida Theatre, London, 2020); Faustus: That Damned Woman (Headlong, Lyric Hammersmith& Birmingham Rep, 2020); The Last Noël (Old Fire Station, Oxford, 2019); Standing at the Sky's Edge, a musical with music and lyrics by Richard Hawley (Sheffield Theatres, 2019, revived 2022 and at the National Theatre in 2023, West End 2024); The Changing Room (National Theatre Connections, 2018); Steel (Sheffield Theatres, 2018); an adaptation of Pericles (National Theatre, London, 2018); The Assassination of Katie Hopkins, written with Matt Winkworth (Theatr Clwyd, 2018); What We Wished For and A Dream.

ACT TWO

At the top of the act, we see our first big jump forward in time.1960 skips on to1979,1989 to1992, and2015 to2017. Weshould hit this with a bit of a clunk – the optimism we’ve justwitnessed suddenly hitting a brick wall.

We’re also now in three election years. Ideally we might seesome Labour paraphernalia in 1979 and 1992. In 2017, POPPYsticks a Lib Dem poster on her fridge.

Scene One

CONNIEappears.

CONNIE. Years pass when you’re not looking.

Rot sets in

And other things too

When life catches in the gears of the waste disposal And grinds, and grinds, and grinds

Shine’s worn off – cracks starting to show.

No matter though – we’re made of stronger stuff.

And as it goes, tonight’s election night –

So who knows what might change?

We vote for rocks and hard places

Expectations at an all-time low

Still, things can’t stay the same.

A brief moment in2017. POPPYwith MARCUS. He clocksher poster.

POPPY. I’m just saying Nick Clegg has kind eyes. (Off hislook.) Anyway, it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part that counts.

MARCUS. That is such a Lib Dem thing to say. (Beat.) I saw someone’s smashed the sign again.