THOSE of us who loosely refer to ourselves as ‘middle aged’, especially classical music lovers, will remember the tragic story of the brilliant cellist Jacqueline du Pré.

From an early age, her glittering career and marriage to concert pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim seemed to forecast a charmed life, but all that changed when she was struck down by Multiple Sclerosis is her late 20s. She could no longer perform and her husband left her, to work in Paris and live with another woman.

When Tom Kempinski’s play Duet For One was first performed in 1980, the playwright was cagey about parallels between the life of Du Pré and his central character, Stephanie Abrahams.

The play will be performed at the Swan Theatre in Yeovil from Monday 16th to Saturday 21st September, performed by two of the company’s most remarkable actors, Sarah Nias and Mark Payne.

Director Robert Graydon says: “Du Pre inhabited a world where she WAS the music. A selfish world perhaps, but one which allowed her to escape from the dysfunctional relationships that plagued her.”

“You will see examples this evening of Abrahams struggling with memories of her own past and current relationships, brought into sharp focus by psychiatrist Feldmann’s probing questions; and the realisation that her deteriorating health no longer allows her to hide behind the music. Abrahams may not be an easy character to warm to, but she is a fascinating and reflective one and how can any one of us know how we might cope in similar circumstances.”

The action progresses with Stepshanie’s failing physical and mental health, all of it played out in the consulting room of Dr Feldmann, a psychiatrist recommended by her composer husband. She resents and resists his questioning. There are tempers and tantrums as Stephanie explores her past and present to find a way to deal with an unexpected and unwelcome future.