D'you ever look in the mirror and you don't recognise the person looking back at you? Tom Cavallero, Hollywood actor, and his girlfriend Iona are spending Christmas in England with his oldest friends, Bea and Kitty. Bea's new lover, Tad, would rather hole up quietly with his copy of Pathology For Beginners. Her daughter Joni would rather be in Shepherds Bush. Northumberland in a blizzard isn't quite what Tom was expecting. And how can anyone relax when Iona's filming their every move? She's making a documentary about 'the real Tom'. But who is that exactly? And what's out there in the garden that disturbs them all so much?Tom, Bea and Kitty go back a long way. They've known each other since they were young and unformed. But who have they become? And what price have they paid?Ancient Lights premiered at the Hampstead Theatre in November, 2000. An acute and funny writer, Stephenson carves out a welcome territory that is distinctive, contemporary and theatrical. - Independent