A limited UK tour of Tom Kempinski’s Duet For One featuring Belinda Lang and Oliver Cotton is to start at Birmingham REP.
The play features brilliant concert violinist Stephanie Abrahams who is forced to re-evaluate her life when struck down by an unforeseen tragedy. She consults a psychiatrist, resulting in a duel between two razor-sharp minds.
Based on the life of Jacqueline du Pré, Duet for One premièred at London’s Bush Theatre in 1980. It went on to have West End and Broadway runs.
Belinda Lang, who plays Stephanie Abrahams, is best known for her role in the BBC TV sitcom 2point4 children. She has appeared in many West End productions and in 2015 played Aunt Ellie in the national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!.
Oliver Cotton has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has appeared at the National Theatre and Royal Court. He played Winchester, Clifford and Hastings in Trevor Nunn’s production of The War of the Roses at the Rose Theatre, Kingston in 2015, Jim in Passion Play by Peter Nichols at the Duke of York’s Theatre in 2013, appeared in his own play Daytona at the Park Theatre, also in 2013, and played the father in Philip Barry’s The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic in 2005. Cotton’s latest play Dessert received its première at Southwark Playhouse earlier in 2017.
Duet For One is directed by Robin Lefevre and designed by Lez Brotherston. Lighting is by Ian Scott and sound by John Leonard.
The tour begins at Birmingham REP from Friday 22 September until Saturday 7 October. It then transfers to Cambridge Arts Theatre, Richmond Theatre, Edinburgh King’s Theatre, Malvern Festival Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre from 13 until 18 November.