Created for Sheffieldians by Sheffieldians, this jukebox musical uses the back catalogue of Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards nominee Richard Hawley to span sixty years of Sheffield’s Park Hill estate, from 1960 to 2020. One grey-coloured, featureless apartment (Ben Stones) presents the shared location of three families, across three different timelines.

At three hours long with too many characters, this sprawling ensemble piece lacks focus. As the majority of the action is cutesy-British-culture cliché and low-stakes, a few unexpected moments of violence seem completely out of place. Though the script (Chris Bush) aims to show a “slice of life” in Sheffield — rather than action and drama — it could really do with some trimming.

It’s hard to know what audiences are likely to make of Hawley’s songs here. The cast’s vocals across the board are belting and sincere, with some lovely ensemble harmonies in places. But it’s so different from Hawley’s distinctive, drawling baritone, especially when we hear women’s voices (like Elizabeth Ayodele on “Coles Corner”). Taking the singer out of a singer-songwriter’s songs is a bold move, and not one that necessarily pays off here.

Director Robert Hastie successfully conveys the kitchen-sink drama (with real running tap water!), and the diverse cast always deliver on period-specific truth and clarity to their respective situations across time. But honestly, while some audience members seemed rapt by the small-town, soft-core aesthetic, others were checking their watch and left in the interval.

Playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, 8 February – 3 August 2024.