Philip is an English teacher in Worcester, nearing retirement. Feeling melancholy, as another academic year approaches, he looks back with sadness at his life because, although happy and successful, it has been unremarkable. He compares himself to the characters in the literature he has taught and wishes his life had been more exciting. In this mood, he encounters Jane - a lost love from 40 years ago who dropped him abruptly after they played Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in an outdoor production in Jersey in 1977.

With Jane suddenly back in his life, Philip struggles with new temptations and powerful memories. But will it all end in terrible tragedy?