Skylight

David Hare's writing is extraordinary in its stamina. At two-and-a-half hours, Skylight, directed by Dean Bryant, is a sharp, sustained interrogation of privileged politics as two people who once knew each other intimately realise they now inhabit vastly different worlds and attempt to tear each other down.

Kyra (Anna Samson) walked out on Tom (Colin Friels) after his wife discovered their six-year affair. She now lives in a poor part of town, teaching at a disadvantaged school, but is tracked down by Tom's son Edward, played by Toby Wallace who seemed a little stilted at first but grew into the role in his second scene. Tom, strangely enough, appears at Kyra's doorstep that same night, with a mind to rekindle their romance now that his wife has passed away.

Unfortunately, the story between the lovers comes across as an empty vessel to facilitate a political discussion. There is very little chemistry between Samson and Friels, no tension in the space between them. A slow-moving first half ends with the couple reestablishing their intimacy — it simply seemed unnatural that Kyra would allow the angry, self-righteous and often yelling Tom to remain in her apartment, lecturing her. The conversation, while politically engaging, felt contrived, smothered by heavy British accents to indicate class differences and certainly not helped by a few stumbles for lines.

The production itself was very smooth, though Mathew Frank's composition, while beautiful, is somewhat jarring in an otherwise starkly naturalistic play, marking the passing of time between scenes with a sudden wave of sound. Dale Ferguson's set is the hero of the production, a breathtaking, towering apartment block that speaks of the other, fascinating lives that surround Kyra. The attention to detail is wonderful, from the chair next to the telephone to the snow drifting in through a broken window on the floor above. And Matt Scott's lighting complements the space perfectly, particularly the astoundingly natural look of the apartment's corridor.

While there were some big laughs from the audience, and even a round of applause after one of Samson's rousing monologues, Skylight felt didactic and overly long.