Beside Myself

Daphne ..... Helena Bonham Carter
Man ..... Bill Nighy
Terry ..... Alex Tregear
Lawyer ..... Ian Dunnett Junior

Writer ..... Moya O'Shea
Director ..... Tracey Neale

Helena Bonham Carter photo credit: Matt Crockett

Daphne du Maurier, makes her way along the clifftops near Kilmarth but any semblance of independence is quickly dispelled by the annoying presence of her nurse, Terry, following at a distance, for being unable to write, the author is suffering from insomnia and depression.

The routine of these ambles is well known to her fans and they often seek her out. So when a stranger approaches, Daphne thinks he’s just another and picks up her stiff stride, eager to get away. However, this one’s not to be deterred. As they walk along Daphne, to own amazement, finds herself revealing much to the man about her life. Why is she compelled to divulge so much? Perhaps too much.

Beside Myself is part of a collection of dramas in Daphne du Maurier: Double Exposure, a celebration of the imaginative variety and power of one of our most underestimated but prolific and radical female writers. Three short stories - Don't Look Now, The Blue Lenses and The Little Photographer - have been selected for their taboo-bursting excursions into the dark unvisited realms of the inner life.