SKYLIGHT

In a cluttered but cosy apartment with peeling paint, mismatched chairs and way too many books, an intimate family drama unfolds. Plenty of laughter, quite a few tears and a ton of arguments are all found in Ensemble Theatre’s latest production. The play, by British playwright David Hare, tells the story of Kyra, a young woman (played by Katharine Cullen) breaking away from her family to make her own way in the world. The tension centres around the desperate attempts of two men – a father and son (played by Sean Taylor and Nigel Turner-Carroll) to bring her back into their world. However, Kyra is determined to stay strong against them, due to a somewhat questionable mix of self-preservation and ideology. The space is so small and the action so realistic that even the smells of dinner being cooked on the stage drift up into the crowd. The audience is left with a sense of stepping over a threshold into a home they have no place to be in.

Until Jul 28, Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall St, Kirribilli, $29-69, 9929 0644, ensemble.com.au