84 CHARING CROSS ROAD

Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury

I AM a true child of the 90s. I have grown up on a lazy, carefree diet of emails, text messaging, snapchat and facebook.

What is the point of sending a letter?, I would tell myself.

Yet in the beautiful 84 Charing Cross Road I could see the magic and the romance that was created by the true story of the cross-continent letters sent by Helene Hanff (Janie Dee) and Frank Doel (Clive Francis).

Set in the post-War period, this intricate and heart-warming play features a long-distance letter exchange between writer and customer Hanff and married Doel, who was a bookseller at 84 Charing Cross Road.

This critically acclaimed play returns to Salisbury after winning audiences back in 1981, when it first premiered at the Playhouse and went on to enjoy huge success in the West End and on Broadway. With writer and director James Roose-Evans, 87, back in charge the crew at the Playhouse have done an exceptional job to create a wonderful dual set featuring both a London bookshop and a New York apartment.

As for Francis, his performance as Doel was a triumph, captivating the audience and outshining his esteemed Olivier-award winning colleague Dee, who at times was left grasping for her lines.

For those feeling nostalgia of a bygone age, where the postman would bring happiness not bills, this is a must see.

But if – like me – you never had the chance to experience those days, it is still powerful enough to leave tears in your eyes when the final curtain drops.

Alex Rennie