'Standing at the Sky's Edge' announces West End cast

The West End transfer of the National Theatre's Olivier Award-winning musical will begin performances at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from February 2024.

The West End premiere of the new British musical Standing at the Sky's Edge has set its initial casting, with performances beginning at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on 8 February 2024.

"I'm thrilled that many of the company who created Standing at the Sky's Edge in Sheffield and at the National Theatre are continuing to tell this important story in the West End, and equally excited that a brilliant new group of actors are joining the cast to bring new perspectives and fresh takes on Chris's characters and Richard's songs." Director Robert Hastie said in a statement. "Getting the casting right is central to any show's success, but with this show it feels particularly crucial. The characters in this show might be fictional, but they represent real people's lives, so the actors who embody these roles need to take pride in telling these beautiful human stories, and I'm confident that this incredible cast will do exactly that."

Joining the cast are Elizabeth Ayodele (Small Island, Steel Magnolias) as Joy, Joel Harper-Jackson (Cock, Kinky Boots) as Harry, Sharlene Hector (A Strange Loop, Hairspray) as Grace, Mel Lowe (Orlando, A Billion Times I Love You) as Connie, Laura Pitt-Pulford (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Emmerdale) as Poppy and Lauryn Redding (Bloody Elle) as Nikki.

Reprising their roles from the National Theatre's production are Samuel Jordan (Masters of the Air, Sex Education) as Jimmy, Baker Mukasa (The Comedy of Errors, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) as George, Alastair Natkiel (Line of Duty, Strangers on a Train) as Marcus and Rachael Wooding (Pretty Woman: The Musical, We Will Rock You) as Rose. Further casting is to be announced at a later date.

Robert Hastie will direct alongside set and costume designer Ben Stones, choreographer Lynne Page, orchestra and arranger Tom Deering, lighting designer Mark Henderson, sound designer Bobby Aitken, and hair and make-up designer Cynthia De La Rosa.

In a four-star review on London Theatre, our critic said "You'd need a heart of stone not to be moved by this generous portrait of humanity: a true homegrown triumph."

Featuring songs from Sheffield-born singer-songwriter Richard Hawley, Standing at the Sky's Edge premiered at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in 2019 and later transferred to the National Theatre in 2023. The show was awarded Best New Musical and Best Original Score or New Orchestrations at the Olivier Awards.

Set over sixty years at Sheffield's Park Hill estate, the musical weaves together the lives of three families living in the same flat across different decades. In the 1960s, Rose and Harry seek the life promised by Park Hill's post-war social housing. In the 1980s, Joy, a Liberian refugee, finds a home in the North of England, and in the 2010s, Poppy strives to build a new life in the North, leaving her past in London behind.

Book Standing at the Sky's Edge tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Cast of Standing at the Sky's Edge (Photo courtesy of Steve Gullick).