★★★★★
84 Charing Cross Road charts the true story of the friendship between American writer, Helene Hanff, and the chief book buyer of British antique bookshop Marks & Co., Frank Doel. Presented by Ensemble Theatre, it’s a love letter to books, as charming and surprising as the real-life letters exchanged.
Based on Hanff’s 1970 memoir, 84 Charing Cross Road was first adapted for television in 1975. James Roose-Evans adapted the memoir for the Salisbury Playhouse UK in 1981. It has seen both a radio and film adaptation in the time since its publication. At the real 84 Charing Cross Road, London, there is now a memorial plaque acknowledging the site where Marks & Co. once was, though in a sad modern twist the premises are now home to a McDonalds.
In 84 Charing Cross Road, we’re transported to an era where messages moved slowly across oceans in airmail marked envelopes, and friendships could be forged through a mutual love of books and writing.
Blazey Best sparkles with charisma and intelligence as Helene Hanff: her accent and mannerisms show remarkable skill, capturing the wit and grit of the author. Her delivery of Hanff’s love for words and writing crackles with natural comedy.
Erik Thomson works patiently alongside Best, gently unfolding as a Frank Doel with real heart and vulnerability. His meticulous performance quietly surprises us, transforming from formality to warmth with every letter.
The pair perfectly capture the nuances of the friendship between Hanff and Doel.
Supporting performances from Katie Fitchett, Angela Mahlatjie, and Brian Meegan are memorable, without being distracting. Each brings a joy to their characters, with Mahlatjie displaying masterful command of comedy and emotion in key moments.
Costuming by Nick Fry is practical and specific, conjuring the era with detail and grace. Character doubling is handled brilliantly with clear and memorable costume changes.
Lighting by Matt Cox works in tactful conversation with set by also by Fry: the environmental lighting against frosted windows creates an evocative world inside the bookshop, while guiding us seamlessly through the passing years of the story.
Fry’s set gently holds the world of Hanff’s New York apartment within the London bookshop of Marks & Co., while still loading up with texture and detail. The design captures the feeling of Hanff’s love for the bookshop, honouring how she might have imagined and described it over the years.
Cinematic score by Madeleine Picard punctuates moments of writing and reflection, without ever overplaying its hand. The music is delicate and tasteful, supporting moments of transition with the urgency and verve of typewriter and pen, while pulling back and showing real respect for silence in moments of emotional climax.
The story beats grow slightly repetitive around the end of the first act but are delivered with earnestness in a sequence that highlights the impact of kindness to strangers. Even if it is a point repeated, it is a point worth making.
Mark Kilmurry has executed a masterclass in patient and confident storytelling: on paper, a story told through letters could easily become an exercise in speaking without connecting.
84 Charing Cross Road honours the written words of the story’s origin, while forming genuine emotional bonds for the audience to tap into, resulting in a genuinely moving climax and ending.
It’s a true story worth seeing, performed with heart and humour, and a timely reminder that kindness has no borders of state or postage time.
84 Charing Cross Road runs to 13 June at Ensemble Theatre. 78 McDougall Street Kirribilli NSW 2061.
Tickets: https://www.ensemble.com.au/shows/84-charing-cross-road/
Website: https://www.ensemble.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/ensembletheatre/
Photo credits: Prudence Upton
Watch the trailer here:
