Review: Til Death Do Us Part at Theatre503
Hattie Fisk
Friday, May 13, 2022
A humbling depiction of grief, mourning and the pressures of family
Steve Gregson
We have all been confronted by death and the wake that it leaves behind, especially over the past two years. Despite this, in the UK we continue to skirt around the subject of loss, making Safaa Benson-Effiom’s debut full production Til Death Do Us Part all the more profound.
It is rare that a show tackles the ugly, inconsolable, isolating part of grief while maintaining likable and realistic characters; when a production like this comes to the stage we should hold onto it with both hands.
The central couple, Sylvia (Danielle Kassaraté) and Daniel (Richard Holt), are introduced to the audience in a chilling prologue, where the duo rearrange vases of flowers around their living room in a series of moving tableaus. Expressing the frustration and exhaustion of losing their son Andrew (Jude Chinchen), the opening is difficult to watch, but captivating at the same time. Richard Holt shone as an extremely believable empathetic father figure, transforming slowly from being calm and reasoned to firing pointed accusations at his other half.
Humour is peppered throughout - a relatable coping mechanism that gradually flakes away. As the story unravels and flashbacks bulk out the characters, the inevitability of the plot is painful, like witnessing a brutal car crash in slow motion. This harrowing portrayal of mourning is not for the faint hearted, but the script is spellbinding all the same. The text is a good option for exploring with older students, especially for looking at physical theatre sequences, due to it having 15 pages of stage directions as its opening sequence.
Explored throughout Til Death Do Us Part is the striking idea that grief is something that is communally owned, and something that should be shared. It seems to be that grief thrives and grows when it is ‘owned’ by a sole individual, taking up space and absorbing life when not spoken about with others. I believe that this play is sharing that grief, making it easier to bear and breaking down an outdated taboo. I encourage you to see the play while you can, as this rare gem that is firmly worth the watch.
Note for teachers: Til Death Do Us Part has a number of themes that could be triggering for students, but Theatre503 provides a safe space after the performance ends, with a resource pack available online for those affected by its contents.
Til Death Do Us Part is on at Theatre503 until 21 May.
