Skylight: A Play

After writing "The Secret Rapture," his indictment of complacency in Thatcherite Britain, and his trilogy of plays on British institutions, David Hare understandably needed a break from writing political theatre. His next play, "Skylight," defied expectations and marked a new phase in Hare's career. Unlike the political plays that precede it, "Skylight" is, to use its author's terminology, a Jim and Tim play: two main characters discuss their lives, their feelings and their relationships, and if any broad themes are to be gleaned it is the role of the viewer and not the playwright. Hare's play is a standalone masterpiece of chamber theatre, and, when compared with his other work, it is even more astounding.