Standing at the Sky’s Edge: Eight Olivier Award nominations for iconic Sheffield musical

David Kessen
By David Kessen
Published 4th Mar 2023, 00:03 BST
Updated 4th Mar 2023, 16:10 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now
First there was Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – now they’re all taking about Standing at the Sky’s Edge

Standing at the Sky’s Edge, the musical set in Sheffield’s Park Hill flats, is the latest city show to make a massive splash and has now been handed more nominations than any other musical in the industry’s Olivier Awards, announced this week.

The home grown show has been nominated for a total of eight - including Best New Musical.

Standing at the Sky's Edge is nominated for:

Standing at the Sky's Edge launch at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Pictured is writer Chris Bush and Richard Hawley. Picture: Chris EtchellsStanding at the Sky's Edge launch at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Pictured is writer Chris Bush and Richard Hawley. Picture: Chris Etchells
Standing at the Sky's Edge launch at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Pictured is writer Chris Bush and Richard Hawley. Picture: Chris Etchells

> Best Theatre Choreographer: Lynne Page – Standing at the Sky’s Edge

> Best Sound Design: Bobby Aitken – Standing at the Sky’s Edge

> Best Original Score or New Orchestrations: Richard Hawley and Tom Deering – Standing at the Sky’s Edge

> Best Set Design: Ben Stones - Standing at the Sky’s Edge

> Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Maimuna Memon – Standing at the Sky’s Edge

> Best Actress in a Musical: Faith Omole – Standing at the Sky’s Edge

> Best Director: Robert Hastie – Standing at the Sky’s Edge

> Best New Musical: Standing at the Sky’s Edge

Sheffield Theatres, where the show was created, said in a statement: “Standing at the Sky’s Edge, our much-loved production about the lives of Park Hill residents through the years, opened at the National Theatre in London to stellar reviews. The show has previously won Best Musical Production at the UK Theatre Awards and the 2020 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Theatre.

“A celebration of strength and solidarity across six decades, the production is a love letter to Sheffield and ode to the iconic Park Hill Estate. The winners of this year's Olivier Awards will be announced at the awards ceremony on Sunday, April 2.”

Standing At The Sky's Edge is set in Sheffield and premiered in the city in 2019 before transferring to London this year.

It is the latest production from the city to win major acclaim. Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, which was also set in Sheffield and developed by writers and producers in the city, took the country by storm and was later made into a feature film, which was premiered in Sheffield.