Duet for One by Tom Kempinski

First performed in 1980, Tom Kempinski's Duet for One is a former London Theatre Critics Award-winner which has since been performed in 46 countries.

The story charts the journey of Stephanie (Juliet Stevenson), a former world-famous violinist whose career has been swiftly ended because of multiple sclerosis, and her analyst Dr Feldmann (Henry Goodman), as they sit through several therapy sessions in his office.

As the quiet, pensive and often quirky Feldmann patiently chips away at Stephanie's initially chirpy exterior he eventually exposes the cauldron of emotions lying within a woman whose life-essence and very meaning have been cruelly snatched away from her.

And despite his calm demeanour, he doesn't achieve his goals (one of which is to prevent Stephanie from continuing to contemplate suicide) without letting go of his own emotions to some extent. Thus he seeks, determinedly in later scenes, to dispel the myth that analysts must be detached and cold individuals.

Aside from the interesting exploration of the battle of wills between a patient and their analyst however, it's the superb and perfectly balanced performances of two of the country's leading actors which make this a wholly absorbing and engaging production.

To read Coutts Woman's interview with Juliet Stephenson click here .