Skylight

I've only seen one other British playwright David Hare play, The Vertical Hour, and ironically it stared the same leading man.  This must mean something.  This play, Skylight, like the last one, is also basically a 2 hander.  Last time around it was Julianne Moore who graced the stage with Bill Nighy.  This time it is Carey Mulligan.

Mr. Nighy is certainly a consummate actor, a master of his craft, a blindingly brilliant leading man. This time around - no change to that description.  Ms. Mulligan was equally powerful and together they grab the audience (and each other) by the balls and do not let go for a good 2+ hours (including a real fresh cooked meal on stage!).

My only concern with this play is the interest factor.  It is great, high drama.  It's acting at its finest.  But is the story compelling enough to hold the American audience's attention?  Being a British playwright, Mr. Hare imbues the script with excessive language.  On and on he goes in classic British style.  Now, don't get me wrong, it certainly is high-brow and intelligent.  It's just that the American audience is different than the British audience.  I'm sure that Mr. Nighy's draw will pull in the American audiences, but I'm not so clear they will be walking out as happy as they were going in with their $100 ticket.  Mr. Nighy likely could read the phone book to many in the audience so my fears may just be overblown and I'm being too picky over British plays.

Interestingly enough, I was compelled after the show to discuss something about the show after all - the need to write in a part for the son, Tom Sergeant (Matthew Beard).  While he provided exposition at the beginning, the character really had limited meaning to the overall story.  This show really could have been a true 2 hander, but in the end I also admit that this part provides great exposure to a young talented actor - and Mr. Beard takes full advantage of the opportunity demonstrating his fine looks and skills.

If it's a compelling, exquisitely acted dramatic story you are looking for - look no further than Skylight now playing in a limited run over at the John Golden Theatre on West 45th.

(And Kudos to whoever is responsible for the throwback Playbill cover).

The Vertical Hour

David Hare opened his new play, The Vertical Hour, directly on Broadway. That takes guts... and talent. Casting Julianne Moore and Bill Nighy sealed the deal.

The title of the play comes from the world of combat medicine and refers to the period directly after a disaster where one can be of the most help. Well, this play is certainly not a disaster. This is one of those play written by a very intelligent man. Early on, Iraq was a quagmire. Julianne Moore's character felt she could help. She went to the White House to advise President Bush. She was a liberal voice of decent, but went to try and influence the course of events - at the time she felt it would do the most good -- The Vertical Hour. Hence the theme of the play is established. And rings true in many ways in the several other relationships in the course of the play.

The play is about complex individuals. And it draws parallels to government and politics. It deals with how parents meddle in their children's lives; how a teacher gets drawn into her students' lives; and need you guess - how a government meddles in foreign affairs (i.e. Iraq).

Seems there are quite a few political play on Broadway this year. More than ever before. But you have to imagine it was bound to happen with the current world political environment.

I'm a sucker for a play with meaning, depth, and intelligence. At the same time, I know i didn't "get" probably half of what David Hare would intend me to have gotten. But that's OK - what i did get was that Julianne Moore and Bill Nighy were magical on stage. The intrigue and the tension were palpable. The dialogue, flawless. You feel the sense of attraction, of intellect and desire. I do think that Julianne needs to adjust to stage acting a bit, however. (and i did see it on the it's first preview - the world premire). With time, let's hope she moves into a more comfortable place because she does seem to fit the character quite nicely.

Kudos to David Hare for a magnificent (and intelligent) evening of theater.