Ontario Arts Review

Hare’s play ‘SKYLIGHT’ sparks a fire

“Lindsay Merrithew’s portrayal of (Tom)… is spot on, authentic and heartwarming.”

“Tim Dowler-Coltman… is compassionate, open-minded, self-revelatory and comical. In him, the audience sees hope for the future of Londoners and for humanity.”

“This script is filled with unanswered questions – as most great scripts are – and that’s the beauty of it. The audience leaves wondering what happened and why – and the images refuse to leave the mind long after the play has ended.”

—Judith Robinson, Ontario Arts Review

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Postmedia Network

‘Skylight’ a riveting drama played out expertly at T.O.’s intimate Berkeley Street Theatre

“The performances are hugely impressive… A riveting drama played out expertly…”

—Liz Braun, Postmedia Network

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NOW Toronto Magazine

Skylight offers compelling view of relationships

“Watching the two main characters in Skylight dissect their affair years after the breakup has enduring dramatic appeal…”

—Debbie Fein-Goldbach, NOW Toronto Magazine

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She Does the City

Skylight at Berkeley Street Theatre is a Fascinating Trip Through the Human Psyche

“Powerful, thought-provoking, and intensely emotional…”

—Jen McNeely, SheDoesTheCity.com

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Theatre Isn't Dead

Skylight: Existentialism in Northwest London

“Theatre is the best vehicle for self-reflection and Skylight certainly nailed that…”

Theatre Isn’t Dead


Here’s what critics have had to say about previous productions of SKYLIGHT.

“I don’t know many authors who can so seamlessly blend comedy and sadness the way Hare does. Or perhaps weld is the better word, because there is no pulling apart the joy and sadness in this play, the outcome of which, while most assuredly inevitable, is never predictable.”

“It picks you up and hurls you along for two hours, and then resolves with such dramatic rightness that you walk out completely satisfied and at the same time all shook up.”

—Malcolm Jones, The Daily Beast

“Mr. Hare makes it very clear that his characters are responsible for themselves and for their choices in life. He has also given them detailed and evocative back stories, imparted glancingly and piecemeal, that make sense of every move Kyra and Tom make, and every word they utter.”

“Kyra Hollis and Tom Sergeant have none of the things in common that usually make for a fine romance. In age, attitude and even metabolism, they’re separated by a forbidding gulf. And don’t get them started on politics, or economics, or even cooking. Yet… you can’t help thinking that on some profound level these two were made to be together. And therein lies the tragedy.”

—Ben Brantley, New York Times

“Hare doubts that people ever have totally pure motives for their behaviour, but suggests that some endeavours like Tom’s can leave a person empty while others like Kyra’s can make a person full. “Why is this?” is what the play asks, and the asking creates its own light.”

“Tom and Kyra’s encounter leaves them both shaken, both learning more about themselves than is comfortable.”

—Christopher Hoile, Stage Door

“Some plays dissolve with time. David Hare’s SKYLIGHT actually seems to have got richer since its premiere in 1995.”

“This is a play in which politics and passion are so tightly intertwined as to be inseparable; and what is so moving… is the encounter of two people who are socially on opposite planets yet keenly attuned to each other’s responses.”

—Michael Billington, The Guardian