An Instinct for Kindness

Synopsis

Chris Larner recounts the true story of accompanying his terminally-ill ex-wife to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland. In this powerful, bitter-sweet and sometimes comic performance, Chris explores both the profound personal ramifications and the wider ethical issues that surround the contentious topic of assisted-suicide.

Our Review:

24 October 2012

Chris Larner’s play about how he took his ex-wife to Dignitas in Switzerland to die is a tale for our times.With humour and pathos he tells how his chronically ill ex-wife Alison Lee asked for his help and he gave it.

His straightforward, detailed delivery adds to the tension, particularly towards the end of the 90-minute show when Alison swallows the chemicals which end her life. Given the subject matter it’s inevitably an emotional, heart-rending show, but Chris picks up on the humour and ordinariness of real life which gives the story even more power. There are laughs right up until the end of Alison’s life, something which makes her death more poignant.

It’s an energetic one-hander by Chris, who has also written the show, and as he walks and bounds around the stage taking on a variety of guises - including his dead wife, doctors, notaries and nurses - he creates a gripping narrative. Whatever your thoughts about assisted suicide, this sto...

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Latest User Review

Sally Wigmore - 24 October 2012:

It is a superb performance, exactly as described above. Thank you so much for bringing Alison's journey to life, and for having the courage to enlighten your audience. More should experience this show. ...

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