London theatre to stage play inspired by Jacqueline du Pré

Richmond’s Orange Tree Theatre (OT) will this month present a new adaptation of Tom Kempinski’s 1980 drama Duet For One. Inspired by the life of cellist Jacqueline du Pré, this show will run from 11 February to 18 March.  

Starring Tara Fitzgerald, the play follows the life of concert violinist Stephanie Abrahams who, like du Pré, is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the peak of her career. Over the course of six therapy sessions with psychiatrist Dr Feldmann (Maureen Beattie), Abrahams works to cope with a career and future thrown into uncertainty by her illness.

OT artistic director Tom Littler said: ‘Duet for One is one of the great plays about music, but its resonance goes much wider. I'm delighted we’re producing Tom Kempinski’s beautiful chamber play. Tara Fitzgerald and Maureen Beattie are a dream cast, and Richard Beecham’s production will reinvent Duet for One for a new generation.’

Born in 1945, Jacqueline du Pré OBE was a British cellist. She built a successful career and was highly regarded when her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis. She stopped performing at the age of 28 due to the illness and died 14 years later at the age of 42.

Heavily inspired by du Pré’s life, Duet for One has featured in the West End and on Broadway. In 1986, just one year before du Pré’s death, the play was made into a feature film starring Julie Andrews and Alan Bates. In this new adaptation the cast will be joined by violinists Gabriela Opacka-Boccadoro and Kath Roberts who will perform  on alternating nights

​