Tag Archives: Chris Bush

“Standing at the Sky’s Edge” at the Gillian Lynne Theatre

Originality is a big draw for this exciting new show from Richard Hawley. It’s about working-class people in Sheffield…which you don’t get very often. And the stories are told in a slightly different way. Events around three groups of characters, from different times, who live in the same tower block flat, are all interwoven.

Set in the 1960s, 1980s, and the present day, we take in a lot of history. From post-war optimism and immigration to industrial decline and unrest, then gentrification. And a good deal of attention is paid to the changing role of women. I’m not sure what a tourist crowd will make of it. But the book from playwright Chris Bush is skilful – nothing is overplayed, personal stories dominate, and these private lives are moving.

The narration is poetic (to a fault at times), beautifully delivered by Mel Lowe and deliberately contrasting in its grandiosity with the action. For it is ordinary people and “the traffic of life” that’s given attention. It’s a simple focus on romance but with such a large cast, and three big love affairs going on, the show feels inclusive and embracing. And, again, just that little bit different.

Elizabeth-Ayodele-and-Samuel-Jordan-in-Standing-at-the-Sky's-Edge-credit-Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Elizabeth Ayodele and Samuel Jordan

There are stand-out performances in the show – but not stars in the way you might expect. We follow Rose and Harry over the course of their lives, so Rachel Wooding and Joel Harper-Jackson impress with their performances as these characters. Joy and Jimmy show us young love and Elizabeth Ayodele and Samuel Jordan bring huge charm to these parts. Meanwhile, Poppy and Nikki have problems in the present day and make angsty roles for Laura Pitt-Pulford and Lauryn Redding, who do a great job. The singing from all is fantastic. But this précis doesn’t reveal how much is going on.

Lauryn-Redding-and-Laura-Pitt-Pulford-in-Standing-at-the-Sky's-Edge-credit-Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Lauryn Redding and Laura Pitt-Pulford

Standing at the Sky’s Edge is constructed to give equal weight to the different stories. Even more, to highlight other characters and the ensemble who join them. It creates a very different feel as the whole cast take moments as leads. And when they all sing together, there are guaranteed goosebumps. The result is, at times, odd. An audience likes a focus. But through the talents of director Robert Hastie, it isn’t confusing. And the sense of place, of community, created is incredible. Originally from The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, via The National Theatre, Ben Stones’ excellent set and costume design help immeasurably here.

Above all, Hawley’s songs are fantastic. A great mix of styles with strong lyrics and a bold emphasis on big emotions. Not one number is bad, and plenty bring a tear to the eye. The show does lose momentum after a tremendous opening for act two. There are fewer songs and Bush’s dialogue starts to dominate. And, without giving to much away, things become morbid. A lot of time has been spent telling us Poppy and Nikki’s relationship is unhealthy, so it is odd to have it as some kind of happy ending.  I guess that at least the surprises keep coming. Standing at the Sky’s Edge is one of the most original musicals I’ve seen in a long time.

Until 3 August 2024

www.skysedgemusical.com

Photos by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg 

“Faustus: That Damned Woman” at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

We know that Faustus, who famously sold his sold to the devil, makes for a good story. It’s been told often enough. This new version from playwright Chris Bush is a mixed bag, but it does a lot with the tale’s potential, and modern twists make the story approachable and intriguing.

Changing the gender of the protagonist is a good start. The show provides a star role for Jodie McNee who plays Johanna Faustus with gusto. She’s ready to spar with Satan as much as sign Beelzebub’s book, and sexism becomes the big evil in the play.

Part of Johanna’s motive for her diabolic bargain is to be independent – to be her own woman in 17th-century London. Cue witches, corruption and the plague. Bush sets up an entertaining story with interesting ideas.

Director Caroline Byrne does a good job creating an exciting atmosphere, handling historical flavour well. There’s strong support from Katherine Carlton, Alicia Charles and Emmanuella Cole. Line Bech’s costume design also deserves a nod.

But things start to go awry with the show’s humour – there’s a playfulness with the past that doesn’t always work. The jokes are good, but dilute the tension too much. Take Mephistopheles, the devil contracted to serve Faustus: Danny Lee Wynter does well with the wit in the role, but that wit doesn’t help the play as a whole.

A further big idea is sounder – Faustus has a plan to “save the world to shame the devil”. It’s never clear how selfish our heroine is; Bush and McNee do well to keep this question open. But, of course, doing good isn’t easy, and the show becomes more a wait to see what will go wrong. While the passion that drives Johanna has an interesting origin, her anger becomes abstract and simply isn’t hot enough.

As the action moves into the future and starts to engage with technology, this coolness increases. The play gets less surprising and at times a little silly. Messing around with Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Marie Curie turns into a diversion rather than a serious point; GM foods and minds uploaded into the cloud follow too quickly. The latter is intriguing in a play obsessed with souls (a tricky topic in 2020) but needs fuller development.

“Wait” is the show’s final word. And I like the way it’s given to Johanna. But by that point it feels as if we’ve seen enough, and Bush hasn’t managed to inject any sense of peril about what might come next. An order to the devil is appropriate for this feisty Faustus – but it’s a damp squib of an end for a play that wants to be fiery.

Until 22 February 2020

www.lyric.co.uk

Photos by Manuel Harlan