Presented by Verendus Theatre and Red Phoenix Theatre
Reviewed 14 January 2021
The evening began with an apology delivered by Michael Eustice of Red Phoenix on behalf of the director Tim Williams. He said the director was sorry for the delay in presenting opening night which was due March last year. We are all thankful that the drought now seems to have broken, but we still hold our breath.
It seemed a slow and understated opening with Alicia Zorkovic establishing her character and circumstances. The relationship between Kyra, Zorkovic’s character and Edward, played by Jackson Barnard, seems uncertain although they have obviously been close in earlier times. Having established that the link is Edward’s father who he is concerned about after his mother’s death, Edward feels that she will be able to help him come to terms with the loss because of their friendship. He doesn’t understand why she just left but hopes she still cares.
Life is always more complicated than that and what he saw as friendship was an affair which ended when the wife found out. The later visit from Edward’s father, Tom, portrayed by Brant Eustice, shows how complicated the situation was and Kyra’s reason for leaving was the end of the affair and the inability to face Tom’s wife. Tom is full of recriminations and apologies and just wants to get back to the relationship as it was before. During the second act we discover that Tom was ready to leave his wife for Kyra but she was not willing to hurt someone she also cared for; the remnants of the relationship show they still love one another.
Brant Eustice gives his usual fine performance showing us the depths of his loss. His guilt for emotionally abandoning his wife whilst still caring for her and his strong feelings for Kyra make him a man unable to relate to his son or the world. Tom and Kyra are very different people but joined together by a deep emotional past. Both Eustice and Zorkovic deliver exceptional performances working well together to demonstrate the complexities of their past and present lives . Barnard is less experienced but complements this small cast well. Director Williams has moulded a fine production with the assistance of Jan Farr. The original music by Tim Edhouse is appropriate and interesting and helps to set the scene, complemented by Richard Parkhill’s lighting design.
Red Phoenix and Verendus Theatre are presenting a fine performance to rekindle interest in theatre.
Reviewed by Fran Edwards
Twitter: @franeds
Venue: Holden Street Theatres
Season: 14-23 Jan 2021
Duration: 120 mins
Tickets: $19 – $25
Bookings: http://www.holdenstreettheatres.com/index.php/What-s-On/skylight
Photo credit: Richard Parkhill
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