A new UK tour of James Roose-Evans’ adaptation of Helene Hanff’s novel 84 Charing Cross Road, in collaboration with Lee Dean and Salisbury Playhouse, opened at Darlington Hippodrome on Wednesday 23 May before touring to Wolverhampton, Malvern, Richmond, Oxford and finishing in Cambridge Arts Theatre on 30 June.
Richard Beecham directs Stefanie Powers as Helene Hanff and Clive Francis as Frank Doel, they are joined by Fiona Bruce, who caught up with us to tell us more.
You’ve just opened 84 Charing Cross Road on tour, what can you tell us about it?
The book on which the play is based was written by Helene Hanff, an American writer, and draws on her correspondence with a London bookshop over more than 20 years. During that time, apart from buying lots of antiquarian books, she established long distance friendships with many of the staff and most especially with the manager Frank Doel. The book, to her surprise, was very successful, and was subsequently adapted for the stage in 1981, then as a film in 1987.
This production is quite different from previous ones, in that an ensemble of actor musicians play the minor characters and also provide live music throughout the piece. Stylistically this threw up some major challenges, but I think the play benefits enormously from the live music, judging by the positive feedback we have already had from audiences who have seen the show.
Tell us about Mrs Todd, the character you play?
Mrs Todd only appears towards the end of the play. In this piece I spend more time singing and playing the accordion!
Were you familiar with the play already?
I saw the play at Derby Playhouse in the late 80s, with Chris Wilkinson playing Frank Doel. Chris and I were part of an actors’ co-operative agency in Sheffield. It was a beautiful and touching production which I remember vividly: and all the more poignant for me as Chris passed away earlier this year.
How did you prepare for your role?
We did some character work, and I made some decisions about Mrs Todd’s character and background. Since I am understudying the role of Helene Hanff I have spent a lot more time getting to grips with that – which involves learning an awful lot of lines!
The cast includes Clive Francis, who’s no stranger to the role, and Stefanie Powers. How have you all been getting to know each other?
It’s been a pretty hectic rehearsal period, so not much time for chit-chat. However now we’ve opened we’ll get more of a chance to have conversations. Stefanie and I both have links with France so have happily nattered away to each other in French.
What are you looking forward to most about being out on tour?
There’s nothing like the buzz of playing to a live audience and enjoying the different reactions. I’ll be really happy when I am confident enough with Helene Hanff’s lines that I stop dreading Stefanie getting ill!
If you could order an antique book from Marks & Co what would it be?
I’d like a first edition of ‘The Little Prince’ by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, as it’s one of my favourite books of all time.
Photo Credit – Richard Hubert Smith
