She first contacted the shop in 1949 and it fell to Doel to fulfil her requests. Hanff was in search of obscure classics and British literature titles that she had been unable to find in New York City when she noticed an ad in the Saturday Review of Literature. Her skill at getting the best out of her actors and her vision reflect in this production.84, Charing Cross Road is a 1970 book by Helene Hanff, later made into a stage play, television play, and film, about the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, located at the eponymous address in London, England. She has worked very hard to get this difficult play before us. The Bafta this time though goes to Mary Young who is the director and she has made an excellent job of it. The sound effects and the choice of music are excellent.

One small carp the office party was not like any parties I went to. Ann Harvey came across very well, Miranda Hedges plays two characters and she does them both beautifully, Sharon Olieff portrays the niceness of her character, Patricia Pape is good as the American visitor, and lastly there is Jack Mortimer who doesn’t say a word but makes his presence felt. The rest of the cast only have cameo parts, and yet they were all good. I loved his scene where he has had too many Sherries.

Frank is played by that charming actor, John Hamilton, and he brings to life the gentle, shy, kindly man faced with this rather strange American Lady. The part requires an American accent which she manages very well and she shows in her performance the exuberance and enthusiasm of the character. Helene is played by Sue Shepherd and it’s an exacting role she is hardly ever off the stage. The set which is excellent is on a split level and I congratulate the designers and the backstage workers for all their hard work. She cannot afford the fare and only at the end does she finally make it to England. Helene sends them food parcels, as the play starts in the late forties and early fifties when rationing was still on. Gradually a warmth develops between the couple and it goes on to include the rest of the staff in the shop and Frank’s family. There then starts a friendship between her and the manager of the shop, Frank Doel. She obtains the books from a bookshop in London. It is based on the book by Helene Hanff and tells the story of an impoverished American author living in New York and her love affair with fine books and good literature. 84 Charing Cross Rd is a fine example of this. There is the staple diet of thrillers and comedies which the audience love, and now and again a different play is thrown into the mix. Seaford Little Theatre has, over the years, given us wonderful entertainment.

84 charing cross book