84 CHARING CROSS ROAD at West End Productions

Two decades, one ocean, and a mountain of secondhand books: 84, Charing Cross Road is a witty, deeply moving true story of an unlikely transatlantic friendship (between a brash, literature-loving New York writer and a quietly dignified London antiquarian bookseller) born entirely through a shared love of rare books and words.

Helene Hanff wrote her memoir (spanning twenty years) in the early 1970s. It was adapted by James Roose-Evans for stage, tv and radio in the UK. It premiered on Broadway in 1982 starring Ellen Burstyn and Joseph Maher. It was also an award-winning movie starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. At WEP, Nancy Sellin, director, says “84 Charing Cross Road is a true and delightful story of a writer in NYC who is fascinated with antique books, and the proprietor of a small antique bookstore in England. Their letters span over twenty years and create a platonic love story of two people who share a strong common interest and similar sense of humor. I am drawn to this play because it is a lighthearted, amusing, and touchingly beautiful story. I found myself slipping inside the lives of these two people and becoming mesmerized by their relationship and circumstances. And isn't that what theatre is all about?” Well-known to the Albuquerque theatre community, Stephanie Jones and Tim MacAlpine will enthrall the audience, with a supporting cast played by Caedmon Holland, Fawn Hanson, Neil Faulconbridge, Margie Maes and Kendra Rickert. This production is a Must See!

WEST END PRODUCTIONS focuses exclusively on the treasure trove of theatrical gems, past and present, from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. WEP stages works ranging from classical repertory to the most contemporary of authors, and everything in between. Our pledge to Albuquerque audiences is to provide entertaining, thought-provoking and heart-touching productions while always maintaining the highest professional standards.

Promo photo credit Russell Maynor