Duet for One is a play by Tom Kempinski that has been presented in the West End starring Frances de la Tour and David de Keyser and more recently Juliet Stevenson and Henry Goodman. 

It explores the emotions and reactions experienced by Stephanie Abrahams , a concert violinist of world-wide renown who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and faces the loss of her career and identity.

The play is set in the consulting room of the psychiatrist Dr Alfred Feldmann over 6 consecutive sessions – over an unspecified period of time- and explores Stephanie’s fears, hopes, relationships with her family, and music, as her reaction to the devastating diagnosis changes over time.

Although on the surface the subject matter is dark, the verbal tennis-match-sparring between Stephanie and Dr Feldman is exhilarating and eye opening and has toe curlingly comic moments . It’s a beautiful piece of theatre writing.