Milan, Italy. 1960. Rosetta Susannah Di Curci the feted colouratura soprano is on the brink of superstardom when doctors diagnose a cancerous polyp on her vocal chords. Rosetta chooses to have surgery but knows she will never perform again. Forty years later, Rosetta lives as a recluse in a city in the north of England. The spectre of her career failure continues to haunt her.