Theatre Review: Skin Tight at Circa
Words by Joanna Fan (she/her)
Skin Tight, written by Gary Henderson, premiered at BATS Theatre in 1994, going on to become one of Aotearoa’s most universal and enduring pieces of theatrical work. Circa Theatre’s Skin Tight was directed by Katherine McRae and performed by Ella Gilbert, Arlo Gibson, and K.C. Kelly. The 2022 season ran from 27 August-24 September.
Skin Tight begins with a jumpscare. There’s a flash of light and cacophony of sound. The two actors burst in from either side of the stage, colliding in the centre, before an all-out fist fight ensues. It’s a sensory overload, only halted by sudden silence, right at the climax. As if nothing has happened, they kiss.
Skin Tight centres around the final chapter of Tom and Elizabeth’s love story as they indulge in a lifetime past. Secrets are revealed. Uncomfortable truths are exposed. Lust is rife. Choosing nostalgia may be the best way to say goodbye.
From the dialogue to the movement, the fights, the splashing of the water, Gilbert and Gibson are truly the stars of the show. Their chemistry is palpable—each fight feels animalistic, each kiss feels like the first. Particularly breathtaking was their ability to create tenderness through mundane acts of daily life: eating apples, washing Elizabeth’s hair, shaving Tom’s beard. Their performances define the love story at the heart of Skin Tight: a story about unbearable loss, letting go, and moving on.
“I have to go,” repeats Elizabeth.
For those familiar with Henderson’s original script, Elizabeth’s fate may seem crystal clear from the start. As the clues begin trickling in, we begin to understand why she longs for their estranged daughter Kitty to come home one last time, why she requests Tom to wash her dead body, and why time seems to be constantly running out. Or perhaps the final image with Kelly at its centre may provide the ultimate clue that is needed. The foreshadowing of Elizabeth’s fate is the strongest aspect of McRae’s direction.
Lucas Neal’s set is a standout: the remaining bones of a once-lively South Canterbury farm, which excellently complements the play’s themes of finality, loss, and ending. Brynne Tasker-Poland’s lighting design was another standout, maximising a minimalist set through shadow play. The final image of Elizabeth’s body sprawled across the bathtub with a warm golden light reflected against the cold steel will be forever etched in my memory. Movement director Luke Hanna, intimacy coordinator Tandi Wright, and fight supporter Allan Henry must also be commended for their work on the actors’ incredible physicality and chemistry. You know it’s exceptional when the audience audibly gasps.
No words in the English language can quite encompass the gravity of McRae’s reimagined Skin Tight. It’s no wonder that the play has reached universal acclaim. Discussions of war, grief, trauma, loss, and unrelenting love are not unique to Aotearoa’s landscape. Overall, Skin Tight is a masterclass in physical theatre—visceral, intimate, nostalgic, endearing, and poetic. Tears were shed. I can confidently, with no hyperbole at all, say thatSkin Tight is the best piece of art I have seen in 2022.