Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts | British Classic Play Skylight Comes Back for an Encore in 2025!

Description

British playwright David Hare's classic play, Skylight, won the Laurence Olivier Award for 'Play of the Year' and 'Outstanding First Performance'. It is hailed as a gem of contemporary theatre. The Hong Kong version of Skylight 2025 is directed by renowned Hong Kong director Chi-kin Szeto, with a translation and leading performance by Ivana Wong, alongside veteran actors Francis Ng and Charmine Sheh. They bring to life a complex web of emotions filled with contradictions and passion. 
 
Since its Hong Kong premiere in late 2023, the play has been a massive critical and commercial success, with sold-out shows and rave reviews. It then traveled to Shenzhen, successfully introducing Hong Kong-style stage charm to mainland audiences. Skylight 2025 will return to the Academy for another run in July, making a strong comeback at the Academy's Lyric Theatre. Tickets are now on sale to the public via the Cityline website. 
 
A reunion of former lovers 
Brings about a long-awaited, belated conversation... 
 
The story takes place on a windy and snowy evening when a successful and charismatic catering tycoon, Tom (played by Francis Ng), pays a visit to his ex-lover, Kyra (Ivana Wong). Having recently lost his wife, Tom attempts to rekindle their past romance. Kyra, now a teacher at a secondary school, leads a simple life and still harbors complex feelings for Tom. She is surprised and unsure how to react to his sudden appearance. As the conversation between Tom and Kyra unfolds, they delve into their past love, the reasons for their breakup, and their differing values and perspectives on life. This long-overdue dialogue prompts them to reevaluate each other and their views on love and happiness. They attempt to rectify past mistakes and salvage lost love while also confronting conflicts of social class and values... 
 
Ivana Wong shares, 'Skylight 2025 is seemingly a love story, but it's actually a multi-layered narrative that encompasses father-son and sibling relationships, as well as value clashes between different social strata. Beneath these emotional ties lies a deeper social observation and reflection on human nature.' She describes the characters' distinct values, and when the audience empathizes with different roles, it creates a resonance and impact. 'That's the charm of drama—no one is absolutely right or wrong; every choice has its reasons and inevitable regrets.' 
 
Ivana expresses her gratitude to her supportive fans, touched by the opportunity to continue performing, 'It's a blessing for a play to have an extended run.' She also admits that Skylight 2025 demands a lot from its actors. As Brother Francis Ng puts it, it's a 'textbook-level' script, and each rerun is a chance for her to refine her craft and learn. 'We're fortunate that everyone's schedule aligned, so we didn't hesitate to decide on this rerun.' 
 
Francis Ng shares that this rerun is a rare treat and a challenging opportunity for him. 'From the Hong Kong premiere in 2023 to the Shenzhen performance in 2024, even though it's only been a few months, I haven't stopped exploring the character's potential. I've been researching and even consulted an English teacher familiar with British culture to better understand the context and characters. Why does this character behave and speak the way he does? What's his inner world like? As I gradually find the answers, the character becomes more three-dimensional and authentic.' 

He continues, 'Working in stage creation for an extended period can be tiring, but each time we rehearse, it reaffirms that only through constant reruns can our play, characters, acting skills, and ourselves as actors truly grow.' 
 
Confronting secondary harm, Ivana Wong says, 'The characters grow with the audience.' 
 
When asked about the biggest challenge of rerunning the play, Ivana replies that it's approaching the character from a fresh perspective, 'as if encountering it for the first time.' While she is already familiar with the script and doesn't need to memorize the lines, she aims to bring new life and deeper emotions to the performance. 'Performing it again after a year changes your mindset. For me, Kyra is no longer facing hurt for the first time; she's being pulled back into the depths of memory. This time, I will, once again, embody her and experience the hurt and invest genuine emotions.' She believes the audience will sense the character's growth: 'Perhaps I've matured and gained a deeper understanding. Will the wound be deeper, or will she become stronger? I'm curious to find out, and perhaps the audience will feel it too—the character grows and experiences life alongside you.' 
 
She also points out that the play might not offer a definitive conclusion but is all the more realistic for it. 'I encourage the audience to look beyond the emotional aspect and appreciate the diverse values presented. People raised in different environments and facing different issues will naturally make different choices. A particular choice might be the only way out for one person but might not make sense to another. This extreme contrast creates the tension and depth of the work.' 
 
Francis Ng adds, 'I think many people will be able to relate to this play. Even though the script is British, human nature is universal. Everyone can find their key to the story, which touches on romance, marriage, parent-child dynamics, employees, careers, class, generations, power dynamics, warmth, love affairs, guilt, and self-deception. If we perform well, the audience can have a conversation with themselves while watching, perhaps recognizing their own reflections.' 
 
A new stage space concept—emotional undercurrents build layer by layer 
Director Chi-kin Szeto's fresh interpretation, anticipating new sparks from newcomer Charmine Sheh 
 
Director Chi-kin Szeto mentions that newcomer Charmine Sheh will play the role of Edward, the son of Francis Ng's character. She brings the required qualities to the role—born into wealth, a bit rebellious, yet maintaining an air of elegance. 'Charmine is inherently well-behaved, with a hint of rebelliousness in her appearance, perfectly matching Edward's personality. This character is challenging to portray, and I'm excited to see the new dimensions she'll bring to it.' 
 
Director Chi-kin Szeto reveals that this performance will offer a different interpretation from the 2023 premiere. The new set design will further emphasize the 'inside and outside the window' spatial contrast, showcasing the emotional intensity between the characters. It will also explore how the emotional patterns of the older generation impact the younger one through spatial language. He indicates that this version will focus more on portraying the emotional tug-of-war and intricate power dynamics between the characters, presenting complex relationships with subtlety. Ivana Wong excitedly shares, 'I'm curious about Director Chi-kin Szeto's new perspective! In his vision, how much space does such an intense relationship leave for us?' 
 
Ivana Wong reveals that the play won't be restaged in Hong Kong for the next few years, urging fans to seize this opportunity. 
 
Ivana Wong also teases that the team is actively planning a tour, 'I hope fans will seize the chance to experience this play live. I don't think we'll be restaging it in Hong Kong for the next few years.' 
 
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/skylighthk2025/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkylightHK2025/
 
 
Skylight 2025 
 
Writer: David Hare 
Director: Chi-kin Szeto 
Translator: Ivana Wong 
Starring: Francis Ng, Ivana Wong, Charmine Sheh 
 
Set Design: Wang Jianwei 
Lighting Design: Chao-hua Chen 
Sound Design: Fung Chin Lung 
Costume Design: Alan Ng 
 
Synopsis: 
On a windy and snowy evening, a successful and charismatic catering tycoon, Tom (Francis Ng), pays a visit to his ex-lover, Kyra (Ivana Wong). Having recently lost his wife, Tom attempts to rekindle their past romance. Kyra, now a teacher at a secondary school, leads a simple life and still harbors complex feelings for Tom. She is surprised by his sudden appearance. 
 
As Tom and Kyra converse, they delve into their past love, the reasons for their breakup, and their differing values and perspectives on life. This long-overdue dialogue prompts them to reevaluate each other and their views on love and happiness. They attempt to rectify past mistakes and lost love while also confronting conflicts of social class and values... 
 
Chi-kin Szeto—Director, screenwriter, and actor, Chi-kin is one of the few stage directors in Hong Kong with extensive experience in film and television production and creation. He has served as an associate professor, head of the Directing Department, and artistic director of production at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. From 2006 to 2012, he was the resident director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre. His works have been repeatedly selected as one of the Top Ten Most Popular Productions at the Hong Kong Drama Awards, and he has been nominated for the Best Director award nine times. Additionally, he has won the Best Director award three consecutive times at the Chinese Language Drama Festival for Dear Xu Xueyan, Der Ling and Cixi, and The World Number One Restaurant. 
 
Francis Ng (as Tom)—A veteran stage actor, Francis was the youngest principal actor in the history of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, starring in over 70 stage plays. He rose to fame in 1993 for his performance in the stage play The Madman of Peking and won the Best Actor award at the 34th Golden Horse Awards in 1997 for the film version. 
 
Ivana Wong (as Kyra)—An artist and actor, Ivana entered the music industry in 2005 and has since swept major music awards, solidifying her status as a creative queen. She has been active in stage plays since 2006, exploring diverse roles and excelling in the field. In 2023, she showcased her multiple talents in Skylight by translating the script, producing, and playing the female lead. Her film performances are equally impressive, winning the Best New Performer and Best Supporting Actress awards at the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2014 for Golden Chicken SSS. In 2022, she once again won the Best Supporting Actress award for Two Seconds Murder. 
 
Charmine Sheh (as Edward)—A graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Drama Arts, Charmine has appeared in the film I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, the television series Gliding Through Water, the stage play The World Number One Restaurant, and various short films, advertisements, and music videos. She continues to refine her acting skills through her work and life experiences.