Salisbury Playhouse- until 15th September.
Reviewed by Nicky Wyatt
5*****
Seriously fantastic. Two people on the stage and the audience was spellbound.
Duet for One by Tom Kempinski is the sort of story that captures you from the minute the curtain goes up until it finally closes. Hopefully like me, you will invest in the two amazing actors that are on the stage in front of you and get caught up in their journey, trying to second guess what they will say next.
The set simple but stylish a comfy doctors office is cleverly done. We are first greeted by Dr Feldmann (Jonathon Coy) as the curtain goes up we see him prepping his office ready for his appointment with Stephanie (Belinda Lang). Dr Feldmann is a renowned psychiatrist, he is portrayed just as many would expect him to be, he has a slight german accent, he doesn’t waste his words he chooses them carefully and speaks calmly. He has an air about him which allows his patients the feeling of safety to to trust him, he listens waiting for his client to make the big reveal, the minute she does he is there in an instant slowly but surely unpicking her thoughts in such a way that she doesn’t realise.
Stephanie a famous musician is struck by a cruel disease that is going to cause her life to change beyond all recognition. How would you cope? Stephanie has adopted the ‘Fight or Flight’ strategy, she has no control over her disease but she can control her life, can’t she? She sets about organising hers and her husband’s, also a musician, lives. Her appointments with Dr Feldmann vary from her being light hearted, flippant, cheeky, angry, rude all mixed with a good sprinkling of humour and perfectly delivered. The amount of study and work that goes in to a character like Stephanie must be huge, it was the little things connected to her disability that make it believable, the way she holds her hands, the falls and awkward movements. I was in total awe at the amount of lines both of these actors learnt and made their own.
The sessions they have see the Doctor slowly unlocking Stephanie’s thoughts, like a lot of people going through turmoil she switches from being angry almost churlish to tearful and sad, she lashes out in ways to shock the good Doctor. A journey was the way he described it – was a journey that left me wanting to keep travelling it.
A truly riveting play which is supercharged with emotions. I’ve only seen these 2 actors on tv Belinda in 2 point 4 children and Jonathon in Downton Abbey to name but a few, they are both great on tv but they absolutely owned this stage! They are believable, incredibly funny in fact they make a Duet for One into a Perfect Pair.
It’s on until Saturday night I highly recommend you go and see it