Last week, I went to see a new musical called Standing at the Sky’s Edge. Described by Jools Holland as “the best musical I’ve ever seen”, it is, in its own words, a love letter to Sheffield, charting decades of turbulent change through the interwoven stories of three families. I really liked it - although, in many ways, it’s not your typical musical, in part due to the absence of a traditional ‘leading role’. There are some actors that have more prominent parts than others, but, overall, it feels like an ensemble show, where there are moments for many people to shine. This felt particularly true in the opening song of the second half, where each member of the cast (of which there were over twenty) had their own microphone on its own stand - of the kind that, often, only lead singers are seen with. They each performed with the intensity and style of a soloist whilst staying completely connected to each other as only an ensemble can.
On leading roles (or the lack of them)
On leading roles (or the lack of them)
On leading roles (or the lack of them)
Last week, I went to see a new musical called Standing at the Sky’s Edge. Described by Jools Holland as “the best musical I’ve ever seen”, it is, in its own words, a love letter to Sheffield, charting decades of turbulent change through the interwoven stories of three families. I really liked it - although, in many ways, it’s not your typical musical, in part due to the absence of a traditional ‘leading role’. There are some actors that have more prominent parts than others, but, overall, it feels like an ensemble show, where there are moments for many people to shine. This felt particularly true in the opening song of the second half, where each member of the cast (of which there were over twenty) had their own microphone on its own stand - of the kind that, often, only lead singers are seen with. They each performed with the intensity and style of a soloist whilst staying completely connected to each other as only an ensemble can.