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POSTED: 08 AUGUST 2011 And No More Shall We Part, by Tom Holloway | Directed by Sam Strong Griffin Theatre Company | Stables Theatre, Darlinghurst, Sydney | Until 3 September There’s a warning on the Griffin website regarding And No More Shall We Part: “It is inadvisable to wear mascara or any other eye makeup for this show. Be prepared — bring tissues.” Hmm, I thought. That’s a big call. I’ll be all right. I’ve dried out now. Playwright Tom Holloway has taken one of the most terrible, most universal of life experiences and created a funny, heartbreaking and haunting 85 minutes of theatre.
And No More Shall We Part follows Pam (Linda Cropper) and Don (Russell Kiefel) as they prepare to do the unthinkable: say goodbye for the final time. This is territory that has been charted often before, most recently in Sydney by David Williamson’s At Any Cost?. What makes Holloway’s piece a standout, however, is taking this exploration one step further into the highly controversial, deeply personal and emotive topic of assisted suicide. Pam is suffering from a terminal illness and her treatment isn’t working. She’s agreed that to continue it is pointless. Death is inevitable, but she can’t bear the thought of the pain, deterioration and loss of dignity ahead of her. So she’s done some research, and elects to take some pills that will allow her to choose the time of her passing. Through a series of flashbacks and present-day deathbed scenes, we witness Pam’s determination and Don’s struggle to firstly accept the inevitability of Pam’s death, then the choice Pam has made about how, and when, she will die. Using the tiny Stables space, a clever set dominated by Pam’s bed includes, behind it, a beautifully realistic fibro kitchen — down to the mould on the walls. The interaction between Pam and Don shifts around the entire space, including a wonderful argument largely conducted backstage. Sam Strong’s direction thoughtfully guides the pair to an astonishingly courageous and horrific ending. Several days later, recalling the final moments still elicits a shudder. The last few years have seen Holloway’s works lauded and awarded worldwide, with And No More Shall We Part winning the 2010 AWGIE for Best Stage Play. It is certainly a worthy recipient, but I did find the faltering, ‘naturalistic’ dialogue, especially in the beginning scenes, actually felt unnatural — but, then again, it’s quite conceivable that under the strain of saying that final farewell, many half-said sentences may well pass one’s lips. Cropper and Kiefel give brilliant, authentic and heartfelt performances. Both were able to convey years of shared existence and love with the most subtle of glances or nuance of tone. Both also gave life to outpourings of devastating, pure emotion. And No More Shall We Part is hard viewing. I already know of one person who has declined to see this because of fear of how it may affect her. But despite the diluted mascara, and the soggy tissues wadded in the bottom of my bag, I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
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