Standing At The Sky’s Edge - Crucible/NT/Gillian Lynne

Well at least the concrete was interesting.

Too bad about the show. 😝

Members are allowed to counter positive comments with negative comments. It’s not a love fest. People are allowed to not like something even if the tide of opinion doesn’t agree. Let’s live and let live eh. 

Saw this yesterday (Saturday night - and sat across the aisle from a very special celebrity guest*).

It's the best thing I've seen at the National in YEARS.

I loved everything about it - the set, the characters, the writing, the music, the performances, the stories, the casting.

For me, it was close to theatrical perfection.

*It was Tom Hanks - and he was wiping away tears with the rest of us.

Everything I wanted to say about this play-with-musical-interludes has already been covered by various other contributors, including the references to Henderson's Relish and the Roberts Radio, so I'll avoid the temptation to repeat.

I'll just say that I adore tales across generations in a single setting, This Happy Breed being a favourite. I also love the trick Ayckbourn regularly pulls of having characters from different eras inhabit a space simultaneously. So, when, early in Act 1, I realised that this play ticked both those boxes, I settled myself in for a five-star experience, only to feel a tad let-down by the end.

As with Dear Evan Hansen, this is a play slowed down by regular pauses for a long song. The rumoured screen transfer will work better I think if the music becomes a genuine background soundtrack. Don't get me wrong, I quite liked the music; it was just that they felt like unnecessary interruptions holding up the drama. While some of the cast had gorgeous voices, there were a couple I didn't enjoy. It would be cruel to name them, so I won't.

The biggest problem for me was the Poppy/Nikki relationship. There was no chemistry, and why is Nikki written to be so unlikeable? The resolution to their story was unconvincing and unsatisfying.

The sound mix was loud and clear, at least from my second-row seat, so those problems reported in the early performances seem to have been addressed.

Four stars.

Act 1: 19:34-20:54
Act 2: 21:17-22:29

This was Friday night's show, and we had Justine played by Consuela Rolle.

I've convened an emergency meeting of 'the committee' for later this afternoon. You'll be informed of the outcome in due course. 😁

I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ve listened to the opening number from the cast recording and WOW. This sounds like one of the most beautiful openings I’ve heard in years. I’m always skeptical of juke box musicals but it’s hard to ignore the artistry.

Caught this again last night for my second visit, this time from the £20 seats right at the front (if anyone is looking for those, even though they were all showing as sold out for every remaining date when I checked last week they put some on sale during the Friday rush last week). It was amazing to get a different perspective - seeing from the circle gives you an overview of the amazing choreography but definitely felt more emotionally connected to the characters sitting right at the front.

This show has now firmly secured itself in my top 10 favourite musicals!

Just been listening to the cast recording whilst doing the ironing and I'm afraid the ironing beat the music for interest.

The point I was trying to make, in a humorous way, was that I didn't like the music. Sorry you didn't get it.

It isn't that different to me than any of us who come and say something positive, but don't do a lot of elaborating, or any of the "I'm really looking forward to this" posts. It's a quick reaction or opinion.