Skylight
Story lines in the realm of theatre (and film) are liberally sprinkled with tales of thwarted relationships and Skylight by David Hare (written in 1994) definitely sits in this category. It is, however, infused with other complex layers that challenge the audience and inform the trajectory of the play and its characters.
Red Phoenix Theatre Inc and director Tim Williams had programmed this production for March 2020 until a certain pandemic made the opening impossible. Less than a year later, in Holden St Theatre’s ‘The Studio’, Skylight has opened with Jackson Barnard, Brant Eustice and Alicia Zorkovic in the cast.
Playwright David Hare describes the relationships in his play as an exploration of "...the gap between what he, the character, says he is, and what we see him to be: the difference between what a man or a woman says, and what he or she does." The roles of Tom (Brant Eustice) and Kyra (Alicia Zorkovic) are demanding - complex and virtuosic in scope with the rare phenomenon of a lead female character on stage for the entirety of the play. The dialogue is intricate and convoluted with a rollercoaster of emotion to navigate for each actor amidst the banter, the tenderness and the arguments. The story unfolds as nuggets of information gradually inform the audience about the history common to all three characters and how they are shaped by those experiences. As we glean this information, our empathy shifts back and forth.
The underlying themes and layers in Skylight explore and highlight the gulf that exists between success, wealth and privilege compared to communities that are worlds away from those advantages and encompasses issues of poverty, political earnestness, and differences in ethical perception. Set in East London, where Kyra lives, and where her growing socio-political awareness has led her to teach in an under-privileged school, the play takes place in one room. On a freezing London night her dingy, neon-lit council flat and mismatched furniture sets a scene for turbulent meetings between Kyra and the two men she has influenced in her previous life.
Age has been described as “an accumulation of loss” and during this play we observe interactions between three people of different ages and generations. The status shifts between the three as tempers and emotions flare and layers of damage and the repercussions of choice are exposed. We also see the evolution of the two older characters (Tom and Kyra) through reference to previous times in comparison to their current situations and the way loss alters them.
Alicia Zorkovic as Kyra enters alone to begin and the initial perception of this character is of a tired, possibly lonely, single woman about to begin her nightly routine. Zorkovic gives a masterful performance and handles the demands of the set and props (including on stage cooking) with ease, never losing her character focus. Kyra’s path throughout this night shows us her maturity and sensibilities as a human and a woman, as well as her vulnerabilities.
The character of Edward (Jackson Barnard) is a counterpoint to the older characters exhibiting the energy and enthusiasm of a younger man but also his confusion and sensitivity around the past events. Barnard lends Edward a gentle guilelessness which is highlighted at the end of the second act through a kind and thoughtful gesture that somewhat ameliorates the tension that prevailed beforehand.
Brant Eustice always has a phenomenal presence on stage and at first imbues the wealthy and successful Tom with a brutal swagger and confidence that is tempered with an underlying, slightly forlorn hope. As the night passes, Tom imbibes most of a bottle of whiskey and becomes more provocative and argumentative but Eustice manages the resultant physicality with subtlety.
Tim Williams’ direction is capable but the pace does need to pick up slightly to keep the audience engaged with the dense dialogue and to maintain compassion for, and a relationship to, the characters. There was considerable movement around the set by Eustice and Zorkovic as their characters circled, approached and retreated throughout the arc of their encounter. My perception was that the text didn’t necessarily need quite as much perambulation and that the emotion and words could stand alone and still powerfully convey their meanings and the imagery of hierarchy and battle lines.
This is a powerful production and deserves support from Adelaide audiences as we start to fill our theatres again. Verendus Theatrical, Red Phoenix and the cast of Skylight are to be congratulated on staging this demanding and emotive work.
Lisa Lanzi
Photographer: Richard Parkhill
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