Talent, music and tragedy!
With strong references to the story of famous cellist Jacqueline Du Pre, here is a drama which tells a similar story.
We are introduced to world famous violinist Stephanie Anderson. She is an extremely successful and talented performer who has played in concerts all around the world. She is the best in her field and together with her equally successful conductor husband, lives a life that many would envy.
However, her world comes crashing won around her when she is given a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. This degenerative disease will cause her to lose the feelings in her fingers which is, in essence, the kiss of death to her musical career.
Stephanie lives for music and unable to accept that this is over falls into a deep depression.
As a result of this she seeks help from a psychiatrist, Dr Louis Feldman who forces her to look deep into herself and face some uncomfortable home truths. This is an emotionally charged situation which, at times, proves too much for Stephanie who takes out her pain and anger on Dr Feldmann. What she can’t accept is a life without music which is what Feldmann is essentially saying she has to do.
And to make matters worse, her charismatic husband is drifting away from her. He then embarks on an affair with his secretary as a means of dealing with the situation.
Stephanie is at an all time low and decides to shut herself off from everyone. Her only consolation is her tapes of her concert performances. She plays these tapes over and over again, seeing herself at the height of her powers, performing to millions of people and knowing deep down that she will never be able to that again.
This is too much for her to accept and she decides that life without music is not worth living. She attempts to commit suicide but is then rescued by her maid.
Strangely enough this proves to be a turning point for Stephanie who realises that she has to come to terms with her illness and deal with it in the best way she can. This does mean an end to her musical career and she has to swallow this bitter pill along with the realisation that ‘life does go on’.
Duet for One opens on the 7th May 2009 and runs until the 1st August 2009.