‘Thought-provoking’ is a term I find dubious because it can be used to describe virtually any piece of art. In the past, I have myself been guilty of throwing it around when I can’t think of anything better to say about a work. This is not the case when I say that And No More Shall We Part is one of the most thought-provoking works to be produced in Dunedin in recent years. It will genuinely have you pondering the questions it raises long after you have left the theatre. 

And No More Shall We Part deals with themes of love, sickness, death and euthanasia, but given the weight of its subject matter retains a remarkable lightness. Everything about the production is understated, from the script to the acting to the minimal set, and this works wonderfully to develop its themes with subtlety and nuance. Tragic though the play undeniably is, it never tries to force tragedy down its audience’s throats, preferring a slow-burning approach that gradually works its way under your skin.

Alan Palmer and Julie Edwards play married couple Don and Pam, who must re-evaluate everything when Pam’s terminal illness leads her to seek a better way to end her life and the decisions they must make put immense strain on their relationship. Everything about the play’s message relies on the portrayal of this turmoil and the duo – who together comprise the newly-formed Dean & Ella Productions – pull it off flawlessly.

Both approach their roles with remarkable restraint and create characters so richly detailed and realised they truly feel like people you could meet in your everyday life. The pair have significant chemistry, making their working off each other a sight to behold. They manage to find as much humour in the lines as they do heartbreak and this is really what brings the play to life and gives the play it’s very human immediacy.

The production does suffer a little on the pacing front. While for the most part its gradual progression is a point in favour of its sensitive tackling of serious issues, the play is also fond of protracted silences in which the action grinds to a complete stop. This is actually an effective technique – it builds the tension and allows the audience time to reflect on the gravity of what they have just witnessed – but it would benefit from the same restraint that was applied to all other elements of the production. Instead, the play feels like it is jumping on every opportunity to have one character leave for several minutes to make a cup of tea while the other just sits on stage, and what was initially tense eventually becomes merely tiresome.

That being said, And No More Shall We Part is still an engaging and disarmingly real bittersweet play and I await with much anticipation Dean & Ella Productions’ next offering. 

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