Peter FeldmanPeter Feldman: "Duet for One" is a remarkable two-hander which explores the emotional conflict that besets a young violinist who is struck down by multiple sclerosis.
Tom Kempinski's eloquently framed play is the perfect vehicle for players who possess the skills to hold you enraptured for more than two hours. Very little happens in dramatic terms during this period, but the flow of ideas between the wheel-chair bound musician, Stephanie Abrahams, and German psychiatrist, Dr Alfred Feldmann, is what commands your attention.
In Clare Mortimer, an actress based in Durban, and Michael Richard, director Steven Stead has more than accomplished players with whom to work - he has truly great thespians well schooled in the techniques of pace, pause, power and polish.
These important facets are brought together in the creation of this play as the two characters get down to the serious business of discussing life and living.
Inspired by the life of the famed cellist Jacqueline du Pré and her relationship with her husband, Daniel Barenboim, the author has constructed an engrossing and deeply touching psychological drama in which the performances of these two superb players shine through in their every word and gesture.
The 33-year-old Stephanie Abrahams is at first reluctant to reveal the inner turmoil she is undergoing, but he is a wise old psychiatrist whose relaxed, almost non-committal pose masks his deeper concerns for his patient and she relents.
She has to find a way forward now that her playing days are over. She has been suffering with the crippling disease for seven months before going to visit Dr Feldmann. She describes music as the purest expression of humanity, a kind of heaven that lifts you to another place, and her inability to create this state has had a demoralising effect on her psyche. She had thoughts of suicide.
The intelligent interplay between the two characters and the subtle use of pause and body language are telling factors in enriching the experience.
Michael Richard, an actor I have long admired for his versatility, again shows the skills and understanding that have made him such a highly regarded performer and in Dr Feldmann he has shaped a believable entity.
Clare Mortimer is outstanding and is able to convey the anxiety and fear that bubbles just below the surface.
Greg King's set is an evocative one and beautifully captures the look and feel of a cultured doctor's consulting room. The sound and lighting are both spot on.
"Duet for One" provides a wonderfully uplifting evening for discerning theatre-goers.
Duet for One is at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton until 5 June.
