The play that changed my mind on assisted dying | Letters

Sarah Daniels says anyone who is interested in the issue should watch or listen to An Instinct for Kindness by Chris Larner. Trevor Moore thinks Henry Marsh is right to call for a public inquiry

My partner died in my arms in a hospice. The last week of her life brought me very happy memories that have sustained me in the past 11 years. So I was adamantly against assisted dying (Letters, 6 April). Then someone pointed out to me that anyone in this country has access to assisted dying if they can afford the cost of Dignitas. Which gave me pause for thought. And then in 2011 I saw a play at the Pleasance theatre, subsequently produced on BBC Radio 4, called An Instinct for Kindness, by Chris Larner. My mind was changed completely. If you are interested in this issue and you get a chance to see this play, or hear a recording of it, then do so. I cannot do it justice in the limited space I have here.
Sarah Daniels
London

Chris Larner performs a one-man version of his play An Instinct for Kindness.

Liz McInnes’s letter highlights precisely why Henry Marsh is right to call for a public inquiry into assisted dying. There is no evidence, from those countries that allow it, for the claim she makes about coercion of the vulnerable. If I’m wrong about that, opponents of a law can prove it in the inquiry, surely?
Trevor Moore
Chair, My Death, My Decision

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