Skylight

Vulnerability in differing philosophical and political guises is a powerful, emotional heart-wringer.   A young female adult schoolteacher with strong left leaning views and an outwardly confident, even swaggering, businessman and restaurateur - one of Thatcher's children - try to re-infuse their former, doomed six year relationship after his surprise visit to her run-down London flat in Kensal Rise late on a cold winter's night.   They are chalk and cheese, try as they might to pretend (to themselves) otherwise.

This attraction of polar opposites, though magnetic, was never meant to happen, but yet did - for six years.  Rosita Gibbons as Kyra Hollis and Simon Openshaw as Tom Sergeant brought these qualities to the table in ample supply in this superb production of David Hare's compelling play which first premiered twenty years ago in London.

The play opened with the surprise visit of Tom's son Edward  to Kyra's flat on a chilly winter's evening to tell her of his mother's death.   Young Matthew Burgess played this student with truth and a thinly veiled openness of feeling that made me warm towards his character.   He shared much of the same fake bravado as his father and he "book-ended" this play to great effect, bringing comfort to Kyra.

At the heart of the story was the former relationship and recriminations between the ex-lovers, both  so different yet desperately needy.

Rosita Hollis imbued the determined Kyra with just the right mix of outward strength masking her frustrations with life's hardships and deeper need for a true soul mate.   She was supposedly in her late twenties but looked a deal younger.   I suspect it was rather easier for her to gain the audience's  sympathy than her opposite number Tom.

As the plot unravelled we learned that Tom was also visiting to tell of his wife's death and that it was no more than co-incidence that led to him turning up just hours after his son had left the flat, ostensibly for the same reason.    Previously Kyra had worked and lived with Tom and his wife in the family restaurant business and been close to his wife.   Kyra ended the on-going affair as soon as it was discovered by the wife after incriminating evidence, "carelessly" left by Tom, was found and immediately ended her employ.   She then trained as a teacher, moved to a downmarket rented flat, lacking adequate heating and every luxury.  

Tom then bowled along to her lowly flat three years after his wife had died, when he was at his lowest ebb, uneasily living with his student son and seeing many of his own faults in the bewildered Edward.   He had called intent on trying to make another go of things with Kyra.

After a long, achingly real discourse between them, we saw only too well the mask of bravado Tom openly wore in order to mask  his insecurities.   David Hare's genius was to make the audience aware (but never Tom himself) that if only he could shed the mask and appear to Kyra as the vulnerable and unsure person he really was, he would be more appealing to her.   One should remember that, when this play was written, in the immediate post Thatcher years, the new man was a rare creature - at least Hare would have us suppose.

Simon Openshaw was a tour de force as Tom, his efforts to persuade Kyra to see the error of her "people first and comfort  later, or never" ways were almost agonising to watch as he stamped around her sparse, freezing flat.   He tried so hard to persuade her that the spag-bol she was preparing on the stove  and in the process of spoiling was not the way she should live.   Staying overnight failed to rekindle the spark of love.  He offered her many material comforts, but never the meeting of minds she craved.   We were left with the dilemma of deciding for ourselves whether Tom had intended, or not, for his late wife to find the incriminating letters between him and Kyra revealing their six year affair.

Alex Miller the superb director who, through her talented cast,  offered us this feast (no spag-Bol for us, but true cordon bleu!) had directed Tom to make us assume he had intended to be "caught".  There was so much to like, indeed admire, about this play.   The three actors did full credit to Hare's complex characters and to the spirit of the play he created so wonderfully well.

The set was so realistic; a poor run-down first floor flat in downtrodden Kensal Rise, West London.   Taps had running water, kettles actually boiled and real food was cooking on the stove.    A table and chairs, an armchair and the inadequate heater completed the spartan set and the intimacy of this studio theatre greatly added to its authenticity.  We, the audience, were drawn into the play, our emotions wrought.

Costumes were provided by the cast themselves.   Sound and lighting, both highly effective, were by Alistair Lindsay and Stuart Yeatman.   Set construction was undertaken by Roy Barnes, Stuart Yeatman and David Tobitt,   Not a prompt was heard when I attended.

I  said before the play that I had never seen a less than excellent play or show put on by DDOS. This remains the case!

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