Incredibly acted and written in a way that is both engaging and unique, Obsidian Theatre Company and Tarragon Theatre showcase an honest, vulnerable, funny, painful and real look at relationships.

Relationships are hard. I know, what a revelation, right? But it is true and that work can make or break people. It can create holes of despair or rays of hope. It can be a suffocating binding or a solid life line. Tarragon and Obsidian’s co-production of debbie tucker green’s work profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun) showcases the full range of this back and forth, give and take, block and strike with a stellar cast.

The set by Jawon Kang sets the scene for our characters and their conflicts. Every character is involved in a long term relationship and wrestling with stagnation and constant navigation. The set itself is a pale almost basic white. Little colour on the stage as these characters come to terms with their own boredom and stagnation in relationships. Yet the set is complex, with platforms creating bridges, chests hidden in chairs and parts that require climbing and maneuverability to get around. It is an effective vehicle for our characters to both deal with the blandness but still finding the need for complex navigations around each other.

Navigating the text itself is a challenge all the performers rise up to, and it is a rewarding challenge to witness. green writes in a way that says both little and a lot. 5 sentence feelings are packed into 5 words or less. Dialogue bounces like boxers taking calculated strikes at each other. Words are caught in the middle, rhythm is disrupted and created as two characters try to understand each other one minute and spit venom the next. The dialogue may sound like it is short, but it says everything we need to know.

Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu also has her work cut out for her navigating this rhythm while directing the very talented cast to create a very dialogue-heavy show that does not run into the trap of being just talking heads. It is a feat she succeeds in as an engaging pace is set in the room that never feels like it’s stalling or treading water waiting to get to the next argument. Smart lighting transitions by Raha Javanfar also work in breaking up the action and pace that lets it breathe and, when it lies still, it is a stillness that keeps the attention rather than sucking the air out of the room.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t dedicate a whole section to the incredible cast of Virgilia Griffith, Dwain Murphy, Warona Setshwaelo, Andrew Moodie and Jasmine Case. The way they grasp the language and cadence of the piece is masterful. The two-hander scenes are like watching two dancers performing a tightly choreographed routine albeit with more venom. They go from biting putdowns to soft loving vulnerability to silent stubbornness that can speak even more than the verbal sparring. All of which is engaging and a delight to watch.

A profoundly good play, A profoundly affectionate passionate devotion to someone (-noun) takes the audience on an honest and engaging journey about the true nature of relationships and the work that can make or break them.