Skylight | ChicanePictures

Opening night of the West End revival of David Hare’s Olivier Award winning drama Skylight received standing ovation and a galaxy of five star reviews. Directed by the extraordinary Stephen Daldry, it features the equally extraordinary Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan making her West End debut. Bill appeared in the original National Theatre production’s West End transfer in 1997. Completing the cast is Matthew Beard, making his stage debut having appeared opposite Carey in the 2009 film An Education.

The story: On a bitterly cold London night, school teacher Kyra Hollis receives an unexpected visit from her former lover, Tom Sergeant, a successful and charismatic restauranteur whose wife has recently died. As the evening progresses, the two attempt to rekindle their once passionate relationship only find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires.

Skylight runs until 23 August at the Wyndham’s Theatre with a National Theatre live broadcast on 17 July.

Stephen Daldry is one of the greatest contemporary directors for both stage and screen. On the few occasions I have met him, he has always been charming and generous with his time. He’s been spending most of that time recently at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre directing the revival of David Hare’s Skylight.

On screen his four films Billy Elliot (2000), The Hours (2002), The Reader (2008) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) have all been nominated for Best Picture Oscars and his first three films garnered him Best Director nods.

His stage credits include Billy Elliot, The Musical, An Inspector Calls, Machinal and this year’s sell out at the Gielgud, The Audience with Helen Mirren – acknowledged with two Olivier Awards and a Tony.

Stephen likes a ciggy or two so he spent some time outside the theatre during Wednesday night’s Skylight opening.

“You’re a sweet man, Mark,” he said to me when I asked him to sign this sketch and told him I really liked his work, momentarily replacing the cigarette with a sharpie to complete the request.