84 CHARING CROSS ROAD MUSIC SCENE

Titchfield Festival Theatre October 14-24 titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com

A long-distance relationship blossoms over a shared love of rare books in this look at life in post-war London and New York. Originally written as a memoir by writer Helene Hanff, 84 Charing Cross Road was made into a 1987 film starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins, and this month it is performed at Titchfield Festival Theatre for the first time. The story begins in October 1949 with straightforward business correspondence between New York bibliophile Helene and the bookshop manager of Marks & Co, Frank Doel.

Having seen an advert for Marks & Co, describing themselves as specialists in out-of-print books, Helene sent them a wishlist of book titles. The order was handled by Frank. Further orders followed; more books crossed the Atlantic. The correspondence – spanning two decades – became full of warmth, humour and humanity. The play’s director is Terri Crawley, who has directed several plays at TFT including A Doctor’s Dilemma last year.

Terri says: ‘The moment I watched the film two years ago, I knew that I wanted to direct it. I was seduced by the ssetting of a bookshop nd a shared passion for o oks. ow was fascinated by the endshipe between elene and Frank – and staff, at a time when e tyypewriter was the nologgy of the day and letters, typed or hand-written, had to be taken to the post-box.

‘The story is generous and moving, with Helene’s kind gestures of food parcels at Christmas and Easter, arriving for the staff during post-war rationing in Britain.

‘It’s almost a love story, starting as a purely commercial relationship that rapidly develops into genuine affection as time went by.

‘This is a tale from our recent past that will resonate today due to our continuing love of books and our gestures of kindness to each other, as demonstrated this year during the on-going pandemic.’

papers. Of course, like everyone, I had difficult days. The small biro portrait in the exhibition is of me screaming and feeling trapped. I think it expresses an underlying emotion felt by all of us during that time.’

The work of two local artists in Watercolours teacher at The isolation is on display at The Spring, Nic explains how Spring as a celebration solaation gave him new rel artistic of the resilience spirit during of the eative freedom. ‘For

that was lost during recent months. ckdown,c in my case

The arts centre has ata included some of my curated a new free omeo and a lucrative exhibition in the centre’s oww, we all received a very Mezzanine Gallery entitled p cious resource – time. Lockdown: Two Artists’ Works in ‘While I was trapped at home, Isolation. I had unprecedented artistic

The work, by successful local freedom. artists Nic Cowper and Jules ‘I started painting just for me, for Roper, is not about the impact the first time in a long time.’ of the Covid-19 pandemic The ddirector of The Spring but instead, it showcases the Sophie Fullerlove adds: ‘Lockdown unexpectedly creative outcome of was a period of distress for many lockdown. in the artistic community and the Speaking about her work during sector remains in a precarious lockdown, Jules, drawing teacher position. and life drawing course leader ‘We were keen to curate an at The Spring says: ‘After the exhibition that threw a more initial shock and all the worry, positive light on the situation. I tried to make the most of the ‘The work from Nic Cowper and extra time I had. I spent a lot of Jules Roper really shows the time drawing and experimented resilience of the artistic spirit and with collage and hand-printing that gives us all reason for hope.’