'84' Around The Globe...
When Helene Hanff, failed playwright, collated her 20 year correspondence with a bookshop at 84 Charing Cross Road, London, with the idea of making them into article for a magazine, she had no idea that those letters would be adapted into a successful play which would be produced all over the world!
Equally, when I first started putting together these pages about Helene's life and books, I had no idea that I would be contacted by an actor who was in the first run in London, and a friend of Helene's who attended the opening night of the production when it went to New York!
This led me to realise that a page about as many of the play's worldwide productions as possible might be a good idea! So, my task now is to contact all past productions that I can, starting with those I can find on the internet, with the aim of hopefully obtaining from them photos and/or information about their productions...
So if anyone reading this knows of a production that has taken place (or is going to take place in the future), please please please contact me!!!
Just click the following link to email me: angela.garry@virgin.net. Thank you!
LONDON, 1981
As all good stories should, let us start at the beginning.
The book of '84' was adapted for the stage by James Roose-Evans and was first shown at the Salisbury Summer Theatre Festival in the summer of 1981. That summer was a frantic one for Helene - she had had cataract surgery on both her eyes and spent her entire time afterwards trying to get used to wearing cataract spectacles (through which she couldn't see) or trying to get her eyes to accept contact lenses which kept on falling out. She was therefore unable to attend the production in Salisbury, which received wonderful reviews.
(In her words) "in October, James Roose-Evans wrote to say that he had sold 84 Charing Cross Road to a London West End producer named Michael Reddington. I wrote and congratulated him, and went on trying to hypnotize my right lens, which went on dropping out."
Michael Reddington's production was due to open at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on Thanksgiving Day - Thursday 26th November 1981 - and he asked Helene to come to London for the opening night. Worrying about losing her contact lenses at Heathrow Airport and being left to the mercy of her 'fun house spectacles', she made her excuses not to travel to London. The impact of what was happening finally hit Helene - when her friend Richard told her "After all the years you spent trying to crash the theatre as a playwright, somebody's made a play from your book, it's opening in the West End - and you're not going to the Opening?"
Helene flew to London...
Both of the following photographs were very kindly scanned and emailed to me for inclusion here by Adrian Hall, who played William Humphries in this production, and who emailed me after reading these web pages. Many thanks, Adrian!!!!
Helene with some of the cast and crew:
Far left - Charles Kinross (understudy), top back - Sue Best (Joan Todd), front - Charmian May (Megan Wells), Barbara Ward (Cecily Farr), Helene Hanff, back- James Roose-Evans (adapter and director), front - Adrian Hall (William Humphries), Rosemary Leach (playing Helene Hanff), David Swift (Frank Doel).
Rosemary Leach and Helene on stage:
During the time Helene was in London, the plaque on the outer wall of the building at 84 Charing Cross Road was unveiled - (see Plaque page for pictures of the plaque in situ).
EXETER, 1989
In 1989, I saw a production of '84' here in my home town, Exeter, in England. I'm sorry to say that I didn't keep my copy of the programme, but I have recently borrowed the archive folders of the theatre group which put on the show - The Exeter Little Theatre Group - and some pictures from their archive (showing the set and cast) follow:
Helene in her apartment (which took up the left hand side of the stage)
The bookstore (l-to-r: Cecily Farr, Bill Humphries, Megan Wells, Frank Doel and George Martin)
Helene and Frank (showing the set-link - Helene and Frank shared opposite ends of a desk!)
A newspaper review of the show:
TORONTO, 1998
On February 19th 1998, the Oakville Players near Toronto, Canada, opened their production of '84. One of their cast, Doug Wilson, had emailed me previously to let me know that he had been cast as Frank Doel in the play... he has since sent me some photos and a programme from their production: (MANY THANKS, DOUG!)
The staff at the bookstore (Joan Todd, Cecily Farr, Bill Humphries, Frank Doel - seated, Megan Wells, Thomasina)
Full cast - including Helene in her 'coming to London outfit' (next to Frank, top left), Maxine Stuart (green suit) and George Martin
Programme (folded)
Programme (side 1)
Programme (side 2)
A mention of this website within the programme!
Link to The Oakville Players' website - Oakville Players.
UK, 1998
Other performances (that I know of) due to take place this year are at:
(1) Wheathampstead, near Luton, England - end May 1998. Details to be added to this site shortly.
(2) Woodley Valley, near Reading, England - end May 1998. Link to their website - Woodley Valley.
(3) Bognor Regis, south coast, England - sometime July/August 1998.
Good luck to all involved in those (and any other) productions!
If anyone else has a production of '84' which they would like to see mentioned here, please email me: angela.garry@virgin.net. I will be happy to provide a free web-site advertisement for your production!