Image via NT Live
Framed by working-class chic with just a dash of tenement bloc bonhomie, the stripped back production design from Bob Crowley effortlessly underpins thematic thrusts in David Hare’s dialogue, making this revival of Skylight under director Stephen Daldry truly engaging stuff. From the illusion of high-rise living that so eloquently illustrates weightier working-class concerns, through to a series of running jokes that gently mock the council flat backdrop, Kyra (Carey Mulligan), Tom (Bill Nighy), and Edward Sergeant (Matthew Beard) lock horns in this NT Live retrospective.
Making her debut on the London stage, Carey Mulligan gives an electrifying performance as Kyra, a secondary school teacher who is visited by an ex-lover and his son close to Christmas. Over the course of two hours, Hare dissects their relationship as both men come to her for counsel following the loss of a loved one. An encounter over two acts that unpacks these complicated characters without being overly sentimental or mawkish, despite their reason for re-connection.
Image via NT Live
With Oscar nominees and winners at every turn it would be a fool who bets against Skylight being anything other than excellent. Back in 2014, when this production originally opened at the Wyndham theatre, Nighy had cemented his reputation in Hollywood and carved out a career allowing him to leapfrog back and forth between projects without impunity. Mulligan had also done something similar, embracing an infinite array of notable roles in film before Hare and Daldry offered her this unique opportunity, opposite an actor who had played his part in the original run.
From the outset there is a sense of polish, precision, and sheer stage presence from this dynamic trio as performances packed with low-key pyrotechnics make this production come alive. Kyra and Tom veer between emotional states mapping out their lives for a captive audience, yet only ever expressing intimacy and regret through extended silence. Between times, Hare injects them with an intellectual ferocity that often feels like a courtroom filled with counter arguments, as memories mingle with emotions and audiences begin to understand what went wrong.
Image via NT Live
Skylight is ultimately an elegant two-hander defined by a series of polarising debates, that just so happens to have an illicit affair holding it together. The fact that many themes Hare sought to address through this play remain prevalent within political circles today, makes Skylight as hard hitting now as it was back then. A fact that makes this NT Live event an essential addition to any cinema audience looking to get their fix of contemporary theatre on the big screen.
This NT Live production of Skylight is in over 700 cinemas across the UK from 16 November.