Where: Gillian Lynne Theatre, London
Writer: Chris Bush
Director: Robert Hastie
I adored this production, and don't think I will be able to capture all that it has to offer in this short review, but here are just some of my thoughts on it.
As someone who is not necessarily a big fan of musicals I think if they were all like this I might be converted. Standing at the Sky's Edge broke every expectation that I have of musicals.
I want to start by looking at the music, clearly with it being a musical this is a key part of the production, and yet the music in this production is not musical theatre music. It's almost a jukebox musical using the music of Richard Hawley but unlike Mamma Mia or &Juliet this isn't a disco, its heart-breaking at times and in others heart-warming. Its genius comes from the way the music has been chosen. Whilst the lyrics do tell the story of the characters, for me it was the melodies and the rhythms of it that brought the emotions of the story into another dimension. Often the music isn't used to tell one persons individual experience its used as a way of tying stories together, the music becomes the voice of the building itself. It also provides us with key ensemble moments, reminding us that this is a story of a community not just the individual characters. There were multiple moments in which the music became metatheatrical with the characters seemingly dancing around the kitchen or living room, and breaking the boundaries between time periods. The use of music feels play like, used as a tool to tie everything together, the characters stories, its relatability, making the flat feel alive.
Similarly one of Standing at the Sky's Edge's defining features is the story, the way in which it tells the story of 3 generations all taking place in one flat in one building across almost 60 years and in particular the way it presents them as one. For the majority of the show all 3 generations occupy the space, going about their lives around one another. Not only was this visually engaging but it represented the way in which the building is important and holds onto stories. I felt it was a beautiful way of reminding us that buildings hold different people across different periods of time but they all find ways of making it feel like home. One of my favourite moments was a scene in which the characters from each generation were sat around a table all together, they were still in their respective periods having conversations with their own families but they passed a bottle of Henderson's Relish between them. As the bottle moved between people it showed the ways in which things haven't really changed across the years and highlighting there similarities. The story is ambitious, but Standing at the Sky's Edge executes it perfectly, creating an incredible piece of theatre. It also reminded me of why I love theatre, in no other art form can you have people from all walks of life occupying the same space and it feel normal and homey, it's not sci-fi its real life.
As always the first thing you notice when you walk into the auditorium is the set, and this set is extraordinary. It brings the building of Park Hill to London, with its strong brutalist architecture and the neon sign - "I love you will u marry me". Inside this building is the band, spread across two levels. Not only is it brilliant to be able to see the band on stage, but again the music becomes the voice of the building. I also loved the aesthetic that it brought, with them in a wooden room which looked almost recording studio-esque to me, they brought a warmth to the concrete structure taking up most of the stage. In front of this structure is the floor plan of the main living area of the flat, minimal furniture is used to highlight the kitchen, dining room and living room. By having the floor plan slightly raised, the space felt open whilst also creating separation between the inside and the outside which becomes key to certain parts of the story. In some moments the conventions of the space, like the acknowledgment of the doors and walls are ignored, but it's on purpose, it's during these moments that the ensemble flood the space and the stage becomes a reminder of the entire community and again back to its meta-theatricality, it becomes a space in which they play with the story.
This is where spoilers come in so if you don't want to know the ending because you want to go and see it, which you should, maybe don't read this part.
Clearly I loved the production but I did also want to mention a few things that I didn't necessarily agree with or would have done differently mainly with the story itself.
These points are completely opinionated and of personal preference.
Firstly I loved the relationship between Poppy and Nikki, I thought it was well written and as a portrayal of a same-sex relationship I loved that fact that this was not the defining feature of either of their characters. Yet I was annoyed when Poppy gave in and they ended up together, which is surprising cause I'm always the one rooting for the relationship. I felt that Poppy had grown so much away from this relationship and Nikki was very pushy, particularly after cheating, plus they seemed to be very different people, all this made their coming together at the end feel a little forced to me. I felt it would have been more natural for them to amicably agree to move on. I think if Poppy were to end up in a relationship, it would have been nice for her to explore a new relationship potentially with Connie, whom she not only appeared to have a strong connection with but their attraction was brought up and neither one appeared to shut it down. This would have also created a stronger connection between the generations, with the couples crossing over into each of the storylines as we see with Joy and Jimmy.
My other small issue with the story line was the way in which Jimmy's death feels almost glossed over. I'm aware that it is briefly mentioned previously that stabbings did occur on the estate, yet Jimmy's stabbing towards the end of the play still feels shocking and seemingly quite out of the blue. Happening simultaneously with Harry's death it all feels quite sudden and brief, as Jimmy stands up and leaves, Rose starts singing and it's portrayed as almost too normal. I don't think it's a bad inclusion but I do think in order for the characters of Jimmy and also Joy to be done justly, this moment required much more time and deeper understanding. Whilst it's a difficult subject by including a scene perhaps showing Joy's reaction or finding out about his death it could have gained the prominence it required This being said I did like the phone call that took place before this moment, hinting at something bad was to come, it just needed something similar afterwards to balance out that plot point. In a similar way I also felt the "Storm's A'comin" scene which takes place in the moments before the interval was also very sudden, perhaps that is one over arching issue with this production it gets a bit too comfortable in its normality.
All this being said if I haven't already said it enough the way in which Standing at the Sky's Edge grasps its form and uses its theatricality to its full potential is what makes it stand out in a theatre industry so focused on technological advancement and experimentalism. The seeming simplicity of this performance, makes it a perfectly executed and seamless piece of extraordinary theatre. I think Standing at the Sky's Edge is a brilliant showcase of theatre. Its a beautiful performance filled with community, love and tension. As stated by the creative team in an interview, whilst it is specific to Sheffield and the city lives at its core, the nuances and experience of the characters are relatable to everyone. I am so glad I finally got around to seeing it, and I'm really hoping to experience it again before it closes on the 3rd August. I highly recommend Standing at the Sky's Edge, 5 days later I still cannot stop thinking about it, and I expect it will stay with me for a while.
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