84 Charing Cross Road
Written by Helen Hanff
Adapted for the stage by James Roose-Evans
Directed by Maurice Tripp
30 September – 5 October 1985
This wonderful show is a dramatisation of business letters between a young struggling writer in New York and an antiquarian book store in London. In a sense, these are also love letters. They are about the love of good literature. The play takes place over a twenty year period, beginning in 1949 when Helene Hanff (played on Broadway by Ellen Burstyn) first writes Marks & Co. and ends in 1969 with the death of Frank Doel, the delightfully dusty supplier of so many old volumes to Helen who has shown her gratitude through the years by sending “care packages” to the staff of Marks & Co.
Cast
Helene Hanff – Jean Franks
Frank Doel – Graeme Horner
Cecily Farr – Shelley Nottage
Megan Wells – Janet Pearce
Mr Martin – Brian Roberts
William Humphries – Martin Tripp
Maxime Stuart – Kathy Byrne
Joan Todd – Elizabeth Hunt
Crew
Stage Management – Bill Brookes, Len Huntley
Assistant Stage Manager – Judith Brace
Set Designed by – Maurice Tripp
Set Built by – The ‘B Team
Properties – Pamela Horner, Nikki Horner
Lighting – Dennis Kingshott
Sound – Derek Wheeler