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REVIEW: Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the National Theatre | new musical Sheffield / London 2023
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- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2024
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OHMYGOD HEY!
Last week I finally got to go see the new musical STANDING AT THE SKY'S EDGE, which has opened at the National Theatre in London after its original run at the Sheffield Crucible.
The show, with a book by Chris Bush and music by Richard Hawley, features Rachael Wooding, Faith Omole, Alex Young, Robert Lonsdale, Maimuna Memon and more!
Check out today's brand new review vlog to find out if this show lives up to its rapturous word of mouth!
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So glad to see this wonderful show getting a great reception! I think another great thing to point out is the orchestrations, they're so beautiful and transform Hawley's songs into pieces truly deserving of the musical stage. Particularly 'Tonight the Streets are Ours' which sounds so magical!
Im very glad that there have been good receptions to it after it transfered to the national. When it first came to the crucible my whole family went to see it and absolutely loved it. We were scared about its transfer to the national as the show is so sheffield based that southerners may not understand it (e.g hendersons relish or whenever the two sheffield clubs were mentioned there was always some boos and cheers which was a laugh) and the show is very northern, so its nice to know its still being loved after its moved all the way down south
As a Sheffield native with a Dad who was also born and bred here, it was a really poignant musical especially for my dad. Him, his brother and his friends used to hang out at ‘Cole’s Corner’ when they were teens. Then his brother went on to become the manager at the Leadmill (iconic club in Sheffield) where he got to know various artists including Richard Hawley. Sadly, my uncle died in his 30s from bacterial meningitis quite suddenly. My dad became very emotional about Cole’s Corner and told me that Richard Hawley actually performed this song at his brothers funeral. The musical then had this really important feeling towards it, I think it helped my dad process some grief that he had suppressed. Many of the songs really hit home for him, whereas I didn’t quite get it like you. Many of the Sheffield references were hysterical for us and the fact it mirrored some things that are going on today felt important. Definitely made me cry, although Poppys storyline felt kind of trivial compared to the other two storylines. Overall so incredible, clever and I love that it makes you theorise what will happen and towards the end when you realise just how connected they all are is incredible!❤
Sheffielder here - I got Covid when I went home for Xmas, so it was pretty miserable. Recovered just in time to go and see this at the Crucible before I left, and it really lifted the spirits. (We also said hello to Richard Hawley himself while out on a walk the day before, strange synchronicity). Great video and glad you liked the show!
I agree that it felt more like a play with music than a musical, with the music often feeling like an in-built gig, not pretending there wasn't an audience there. I think it really comes down to personal preference, my husband doesn't usually like musicals because he struggles to believe in it when people start singing in a scene, but we both thoroughly believed in it all and felt that the songs were more of a sidenote conveying the emotion of the moment, and also cleverly showing commonalities of themes of the experiences of 3 very different generations.
So glad you enjoyed it! As a Sheffield native I loved it when I saw it at the Crucible!
the temptation to travel down to london just to get the show merch omg
I luckily managed to get Circle tickets in the Friday Rush last week. I thought it was absolutely beautiful and me and my boyfriend were a complete mess at the end. The way the music is weaved into the book reminded me of the work of Dennis Potter a little bit. Faith and Maimuna were simply incredible. I hope it goes on tour as I’d love to see it again!
I loved this production. I actually really did enjoy the music, and the book was wonderful! The only thing I didn't like was the end of the third gen story. I wanted her to rise above this clearly toxic relationship, and it looked like she was leaving it in the past, but then didn't. It kind of seems like they were portraying her ex-partner as someone the audience wanted her to get back with. But their relationship was so clearly flawed and toxic, and yet it seemed like it was being presented to us like this was some sort of romantic storyline. It really didn't sit right with me. I thought we were past romanticising toxic relationships, but she falls back into one and it kind of feels like it's written like a good thing. I understand that they might have been going for a demonstration of the cycle of abuse, but I think that the line was far far too blurred, especially when one person I was seeing it with did think it was romantic. It soured the whole production for me.
You know I do agree to a certain extent actually about theirs being a toxic relationship, but I think the choice made sense with the show's naturalistic feel, it would be all to realistic for their characters to reunite in spite of their better judgment in the real world. Glad you enjoyed the show!
Completely agree re: the toxic relationship . I thought a happy ending for Joy and Jimmy’s relationship would’ve been more earned than Poppy and Nikki. Overall I thought the first half was better and the second half fell more into melodrama which detracted for me in terms of emotional impact.
I saw this at the National a few weeks ago. I thought it was fantastic. I bawled my eyes out and can't stop thinking about it. But... I think I would have preferred it as a play.
That said, Faith Omole's vocals absolutely BLEW ME AWAY and it was so good (as a hugh fan of the original production of FHTE) to see and hear Robert Lonsdale again.
Loved this when I saw it in Sheffield....'open up the door' to more great content MIckey Jo
Thanks so much for the commentary. I saw the show a few weeks ago and loved it so much, I actually cried thru parts of it. I found it very moving. I love architecture, and I was very moved by the conversation between the brutalist architecture of the National Theatre and that of the Park Hill Estate created on the stage of the Olivier. At times, the set seemed to melt into the auditorium’s existing architecture, which I found exhilarating. Also glad you gave a shout out to the book shop which had a great section of architecture books related to the show. Thanks, again!
I hope the musical goes on tour cause I would love to go and see it.
I'm glad you enjoyed this great piece of theatre, I saw it at the Crucible, I'm from Sheffield, on the last day before it was due to travel down to London. Due to an unexpected crisis, we nearly had to cancel so I made arrangements with my daughter, who lives in London, to get tickets for the National if we couldn't make the Sheffield event. Fortunately that wasn't needed. The musical resonated with both of us as we have lived through all the time periods, and I have worked in those flats during a lot of the periods depicted. We spoke to a couple of the cast members after the show and was concerned that maybe some of the humour was more Sheffield specific and would not be understood by "non Sheffielders" but was glad to hear that the script would not be changed to make it more accessible for you southerners (sorry). It was a very moving production for us both and would recommend it to anyone as the subject matter is still relevant outside of Sheffield, although coming from the best city in the UK helps (I'm sure this will create a few comments, sorry)
I am seeing it on Saturday. Looking forward to this.
Thanks!
Saw it tonight and absolutely loved it!
It sounds wonderful!
Saw this at the Crucible …….brilliant!
7:49 Couldn’t agree with you more about the recent trend to essentially abandon original music - West End & Broadway - this art form shouldn’t devolve into trying to find the “best” mashup of other people’s music with other people’s words.
Thank you for voicing exactly what did not work for me about this show. The music and book feel like such separate entities (not to mention the heavy number of ballads in Act 2). The book was so well crafted. I have also listened to the cast recording and like the songs in their own right. A love letter to Sheffield but it ultimately did not live up to my expectations.
Agh, I wish I lived there so I could watch all the shows… This one sounds amazing.
I think this is one of the best shows I have ever seen.Up there with Hamilton.
I’ve been planning to make a trip to london to catch this before it closes but just discovered it’s a jukebox musical and it’s put me off a bit. Should I give it a chance?
I genuinely think that this was the best non-musical theatre vibes musical, I think I will ever see in my life! I loved this so so so much. I thought the script and the songs were so intricately woven the whole show was a complete work of art
I 100% agree - loved the show and was gutted at the end - but was confused that some of the songs were just performed by someone with a mic like we were sitting in a pub - and some were sung within the context of the story. I would just cut the songs that aren't specifically sung by characters to move the story forward. I would actually love to see this just as a straight play, which is not usually the case when discussing the book of a musical.
SUPER jealous.. I love Maimuna Memon.. I hope she brings her one woman show to London ...
Her voice is stunning!
You need a show of your own my friend. You’re a natural critique!
I loved Standing at the Sky’s Edge. I disagree with your star rating although I find your premise interesting. In conclusion though, like Girl from the North Country, the end result is mesmerising.
There are many musicals with bespoke songs that come no where near the standard and effectiveness of this show.
Anyway love you and love your style!!!
Adrian P
Always interesting to hear your thoughts! I would say I broadly agree with you, I found that the disconnection between the music and the script, while they were both great separately, didn’t quite work for me overall as you said. Girl from the North Country was an apt comparison although I did prefer this to that. I also personally I found the twist/end of the 2nd generation’s story a little too contrived for me (trying not to spoil it but hopefully those who have seen it know what I am talking about) which kind of dampened my enjoyment overall coming out of it. But overall I did find it really engaging and am very glad I saw it, and yes the set was incredible! It is interesting to think about who might have had other experiences in places I’ve lived so it’s a great concept.
Check out Shirley Bassey singing after the rain
Sorry, just find your review a little odd. Don’t think we sat through the same production. Whilst the book is amazing, the story just would not have worked without Richard Hawley’s stunning music. Cannot think of a single musical theatre composer who could write a score to suit this book. The way the songs are tastefully woven into the lib. is just lovely. This is the best that new theatre has to offer. Top talent, top tunes and top theatre. Should be in the West End (for a long time!) Thank you.
I totally agree.Maybe you have to know Sheffield and know Richard Hawley's talent to appreciate how the two things are entwined and embodied in this fantastic production.I would urge people to listen to both the cast album and Richard's originals to appreciate the authenticity of the songs being embedded into the story.If you lived through these times you will be enthralled
Try Operation Mincemeat, you won't regret it
High concept but it’s hard to feel any emotional connection to the show even with the great performances
Completely agree. I was disappointed to feel nothing. The audience around me were clearly loving it though!
Really? I lived in Sheffield in the 80s and it transported me straight back to times good and bad.My heart was wrenched out of my chest with emotion listening and watching this.
Hi how are you doing
All i can do is pray that the era of the socalled "juke box" musicals will eventually just run out of steam and become something which exists only in the collective memory of the late twentieth & early twenty first centuries. Furthermore, there are one too many musical revivals going onstage including ones that need to be permanently buried rather than revived lol. WHERE are the young or even not so young - new composers, lyricists & book writers? When do we get something original & not reheated frozen dinners? I understand that it's not exactly easy breezy to write something that will thrill & stimulate a modern audience but this alternative, that of pandering to the lowest common (let's dumb them all down) denominator, is kind of disheartening.
I completely agree with your point about this show's relationship to its music being a weakness. It felt very disconnected, and, for me, that subtracted from its emotional impact. The example of Maimuna's big number is spot on. When she starts singing, we as an audience have no idea who she is or why she's singing this song, then after her first dialogue scene where we get to know all her context, she reprises the same song briefly and it lands much more and the moment is thrilling. It felt like the creators didn't understand that tying the characters, drama and music together makes the experience much more powerful. Which is something traditional musicals have at their core. This felt like a huge missed opportunity.
The standing ovation at the performance I attended is at odds with your churlish review.
@@stevehotspur I don't really understand how a standing ovation is at odds why how I felt about the show. Both things can be true.
@@stevehotspur if you can't handle other people's opinions, disconnect your internet and read a book on paper.
I've always had mixed feelings about reviewers using "stars" or "kernels" or what-have-you to rate artistic endeavors, and this is a case in point. This video review is almost 19 minutes in length, and from essentially 8:00 on... you gush. Unabashedly. For 10 straight minutes. Only to award the production... FOUR stars. By contrast, you've devoted copious coverage to BAD CINDERELLA (zzzz) and c-l-e-a-r-l-y found it wanting in multiple ways. Yet it merited... THREE stars. So that leaves me scratching my head, I must confess, and wondering how to interpret (appreciate?) just how much quality, plus or minus, is represented by each star awarded.
And yet I stand by both 😉 Moreover those ratings are pretty consistent with what each show has received from London's critics, but it's also a reason not to obsess over them as a metric - they lack nuance, which is why I've recently stopped using them.
I've seen several clips of the songs & they're singing in an American accent. Why are they doing that? I find it really annoying & it's put me off seeing it.
Saw it today and was bored and left after the first part. The characters are superficial shells of people making baffling bad choices for reasons never explained...because that would require actual chatacter development. The music is good but none of them are memorable and none of them fit in the narrative. This is not a 5 star show. I would say 2.5/5. Just acceptably average and nothing special or noteworthy.