1st Night Photos: Duet for One, Be Near & Affleck

Kempinski’s play, which centres on the relationship between a recently-disabled violinist and her husband, premiered in 1980 at the Bush, where Frances de la Tour and David Keyser starred, before transferring to the West End and Broadway. The 1986 Hollywood film starred Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow.

This time around, stage and screen heavyweights Juliet Stevenson and Henry Goodman join forces, and they were joined on press night by guests including Alan Davies, Samuel West, Esther Hall and Harriet Walter.

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PHOTOS BY DAN WOOLLER FOR WHATSONSTAGE.COM.

On Wednesday (26 January 2009, previews from 22 January), Ian McDiarmid‘s translation of Andrew O’Hagan’s Booker Prize-nominated novel Be Near Me transferred to the Donmar Warehouse following its premiere in Kilmarnock. Author O’Hagan and fellow literary luminary Seamus Heaney were amongst the guests at the performance and post-show party, held at One Aldwych.

Be Near Me stars McDiarmid as the lost and lonely Catholic priest Father David Anderton, who takes over a parochial parish on the Ayrshire coast with scandalous results. Produced by the Donmar in association with the National Theatre of Scotland, the cast also features Blythe Duff, Richard Madden, Helen Mallon and Colette O’Neil.

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And last but not least, on Tuesday, the NT Cottelsoe played host to the press night of Mrs Affleck – Samuel Adamson‘s interpretation of Ibsen’s Little Eyolf.

Rita Affleck (Claire Skinner), wealthy, beautiful and consumed by jealous love, welcomes home her husband Alfred (Angus Wright). But, far from the passionate reunion she so craves, there is only torment as Alfred’s possessive half-sister (Naomi Frederick) arrives, and he announces his great revelation.

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Mrs Affleck is directed by Marianne Elliot (whose credits at the National include War Horse) and designed by Bunny Christie. It continues in rep until 29 April 2009.

– by Theo Bosanquet