84 Charring Cross Road

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http://www.huntershilltheatre.com.au

Date Reviewed: 18/06/2021

A beautiful performance in a fantastic new location

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman

Directed by Maggie Scott, 84 Charring Cross Road offers the audience everything to love about a Hunters Hill Theatre Production, including high quality acting, enthralling atypical stories and small theatre warmth, in a convenient and practical new location. 84 Charring Cross Road is playing at Hunters Hill Theatre (now performing at Club Ryde) until 4 July. 

For those such as myself who are unfamiliar with the premise of 84 Charring Cross Road, the play is based on a novel written by Helene Hanff in 1970. It recounts the very real and very beautiful 20-year letter exchange between Helene Hanff, a head strong Jewish woman living in New York City, and Frank Doel, a characteristically prim and proper Englishman in London. The main purpose of this correspondence? The sale of antique books made from a fine British paper. 

The cast is beyond small, with only 4 spoken actors gracing the stage. This reduces the noise often associated with a larger cast and allows each actors skill to shine through. Liz Grindley (a Hunters Hill Theatre mainstay who shone bright in the theatres previous production of Calendar Girls), plays Helene Hanff with conviction and fire with a wonderful New York Jewish accent. Ross Alexander performs as Frank Doel with a subdued nature and warm glow.  And both Kimberlea Smith and Susan Mozell bring innocence and youthful excitement to their roles as bookstore employees longing for a brighter future for WW2 Britain.

The set has been fantastically considered by designer Wayne Chee and offers an excellent medium for the actors to engage in. It is designed as a two in one, with Helene’s New York apartment encompassing half the stage, and the bookstore in London the other half. The minimalist nature allows the simple beauty of this love story to shine through. This is evident in instances such as the decision to make slight amendments to the pre-existing set to convey a change in location as opposed to installing a new set. The use of lighting conveys emotions well and also serves to focus the audience attention to the correct location on stage, such as dimming one half of the set whilst the other is in use. 

84 Charring Cross Road is a simple story of human connection and a friendship that overcomes cultural and physical barriers. It shows the love two people can have for one another, without having ever met. 

 

Photography by Jasper Kyle