Standing at the Sky’s Edge

By Parminder Vir OBE

April 27, 2023

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In March, I went to see Standing at the Sky’s Edge, a musical production by Sheffield Theatres that tells the story of three families living in the Park Hill estate over a period of several decades. The play, written by Chris Bush and directed by Robert Hastie, features an original score by Richard Hawley, a celebrated musician and songwriter from Sheffield.

In June 2022, on our way back from a wedding in North Yorkshire with my family, we had stopped off in Sheffield for lunch. My daughter Anuradha Henriques knew of a good vegan restaurant which served delicious home-cooked food. The South Street Kitchen is on the Park Hill estate in Sheffield. Over lunch, I learnt the story of this notorious estate, built as a council housing estate between 1957 and 1961 when housing was the dominant challenge facing the city. The iconic estate was inspired by the utopian designs of the French architect Le Corbusier who also designed the city of Chandigarh in India. But I digress.

I love musicals, and Standing at the Sky’s Edge, at the National Theatre London, is a moving and memorable theatrical experience that offers a powerful commentary on the people who lived in Park Hill estate, and the importance of community and connection.

The two hours 50 minutes show is a poignant exploration of community, family, and identity as it follows the lives of characters from different generations and backgrounds who are brought together by their experiences of living on this housing estate.

The show is about three families who lived in the same flat over three decades: the 1960s, 1980s and late 2010s. The narrative is led by three women who give brilliant performances. Rachel Wooding plays Rose, who came to the estate in 1960 with her husband Harry, an ambitious steel worker and we experience his decline as the steel mills are closed under Thatcher. In 1989, Joy, played by Faith Omole, a young Liberian refugee rehoused in the same flat with her cousins Grace and George, and she stays until 2004. In the final chapter, the regeneration that follows is symbolised by the 2015 arrival of middle-class Southerner Poppy played by Alex Young. They each give vivid performances, but it is Faith Omole’s wonderful performance of Joy that is at the heart of the play. From an unhappy schoolgirl thrown into an alien culture and environment, this Liberian refugee emerges as a symbol of hope. Her stirring vocals as she sings Coles Corner are reminders of what she has endured on the estate and what she left behind in Liberia, her birthplace.

The rich, profoundly touching, brilliant script of hope, aspiration, class disparity, and love by Chris Bush holds it all together and speaks to the human condition. The huge cast of 35 culturally diverse actors brings depth and nuance to their respective roles. The soulful ballads and the energetic rock numbers are woven together with the words which take you on an incredibly emotional journey. I laughed, and I cried tears of sadness and joy at a story that has never been told. This is a heartfelt love letter to the city of Sheffield and an ode to the Park Hill estate.

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Cast of Standing Still at the Sky’s Edge. Photo by Johan Persson. Photo Credit: National Theatre London

A superb production, the set design and staging are impressive, capturing the gritty and atmospheric setting of the housing estate and creating a sense of timelessness. It is a must-see production for anyone interested in contemporary theatre because what happened in Park Hill is a microcosm of what happened throughout the cities of Britain.

Sitting in the theatre, reading the programme notes, I recalled my visit to the refurbished estate in June 2022. Park Hill estate was opened in 1961 and attracted attention for its ‘brutalist ‘design, innovative use of concrete, and the potential to provide large-scale municipal housing that could recreate a sense of community. They built four blocks of flats ranging from four to 13 storeys, a total of 996 ultra-modern flats were built to accommodate 3,000 people. But by 1989, the Park Hill estate stood empty, branded as a no-go-area, a testament to the broken dreams of the city.

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Renovated Park Hill estate. Photo by Tim Crocker. Photo Credit: Dezeen

The Park Hill estate, along with many others in Sheffield, was due for demolition but managed to survive because of being listed as a Grade II by English Heritage in 1997. It was purchased for One Pound by Urban Splash, known for its regeneration schemes in other cities. In June 2022, we saw the impact of this regeneration. The aluminium cladding is in tones of bright yellow, red and orange, the brickwork is clean, and the windows are bigger while the walls and balconies remain grey concrete. In the centre stood a communal garden and play area for children.

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Renovated Park Hill housing showing colourful balcony reveals. Photo by Tim Crocker. Photo Credit: Dezeen

But as we walked around the refurbished blocks, we found ourselves standing in front of the barricade surrounding the derelict block remaining, with the following quote from Otis Mensah: “We were never derelict, just displaced and out of sight. Carrying home inside of us when home they tried to break.Park Hill estate, from brutalist glory to sink estate to continuous regeneration, is powerfully captured in the superb production of Standing on the Sky’s Edge.