Standing at the Sky's Edge, which blends the songs of Richard Hawley with a multi-decade-spanning narrative by Chris Bush, is currently in rehearsals for a return to the Crucible in Sheffield and a London premiere at the National Theatre.
We took the opportunity to visit the cast and creative team and chat to Bush, as well as director Robert Hastie and company members Baker Mukasa and Alex Young, about the show's huge successes thus far. We were also treated to an impromptu rendition of "Tonight the Streets Are Ours".
Co-produced by the National Theatre with Sheffield Theatres in association with Various Productions, the piece received a glowing review from WhatsOnStage during its 2019 run at the Crucible.
Appearing on stage alongside Mukasa and Young are Darragh Cowley, Ahmed Hamad, Samuel Jordan, Bobbie Little, Robert Lonsdale, David McKechnie, Maimuna Memon, Alastair Natkiel, Faith Omole, Adam Price, Nicola Sloane, Jake Small, Deborah Tracey and Rachael Wooding.
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 & make-up designer Cynthia De La Rosa and music director John Rutledge. The associate choreographer is Thomas Herron, assistant music director is Ehsaan Shivarani, staff directors are Thomas Herron and Elin Schofield and casting is by Stuart Burt CDG.
Standing at the Sky's Edge will run at the Crucible in Sheffield from 10 December 2022 to 21 January 2023 and at the National's Olivier Theatre from 9 February to 25 March.