Written by Terence Brady & Charlotte Bingham and based on Rosamunde Pilcher’s best-selling novel, it delves into the realms of love, greed, old age, truth, selfishness and self-knowledge, moving its audience through almost every emotion and yet with a surprising amount of humour.

Not only is the “frames within frames” set amazingly effective, but the characters are strongly drawn and every scenario comes totally alive. Stephanie Cole gives a magnificent tour-de-force as Penelope, and is well supported by fellow cast members, not least a marvellous Veronica Roberts as her snobbish daughter, Nancy.

Some plays are just too good to miss, and this is one of them.

When spoken at the end by Penelope (Stephanie Cole), she is paying tribute to a young couple who brought happiness into the autumn of her life.

And it’s just what The Shell Seekers itself did – brought sunlight into the hearts of an October audience. It’s a nostalgic and romantic tale or a woman reaching the end of her life and faced with a family who can only squabble over their hopes for a good inheritance.

Cleverly told in flashbacks, we learn about Penelope’s life and loves. Pilcher herself grew up in Cornwall and this location is where Penelope also grows up and falls in love. The sun and the sea are euphemisms for her emotions – as she says, you “wait for the wave to hit you and then wash over you.”

Last night’s performance was truly moving with Stephanie Cole, whom we all love from television’s Tenko and Waiting for God, mesmerising as Penelope. The actress’ real talent

The emotion comes through a brilliant script but also from some heart-tugging music, reminiscent of that wonderful score to the movie Out of Africa.

Meanwhile, subtle use of lighting helps create the feel of the hot sun and sand of Cornwall, and at other times the darkness of despair.

A minimalist set ingeniously puts backdrops in huge picture frames, with pictures being a major theme.

The Shell Seekers is a poignant tale which is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish – only remember to take a hankie as the tears do fall at the end.

She was back at the Theatre Royal last night in commanding pivotal form as Penelope in The Shell Seekers.

For those, like me, who hadn’t read the book, the title refers to a painting which meant the world to Penelope. The artist was her father, the image on the beach was herself, the backdrop was her beloved Cornwall. To her, it was an incalculable treasure.

But to her two daughters and son it was a potentially substantial inheritance and so the family ungallantly feuded over the art while Penelope allowed its images to recall the love and joys of her earlier life.

Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham have cleverly condensed Rosamunde Pilcher’s best-selling saga into a touching yet often

Cole is central but the play demands strong characters and Veronica Roberts obliges as one bitter daughter, Nancy, while ex-Brooksider Karen Drury is convincing as the contrasting sister Olivia.

There was a full house for the opening night with many of the men in the audience perhaps “encouraged” by their own little treasures.

From them came the roar of approval as Martin Wimbush capped a gem of a performance by telling Nancy to “put a sock it in” after two hours of ear bashing.

But there was much wider acclaim for a moving, provocative, but generally entertaining production.

It continues nightly for the rest of the week with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday.

Every family with any inheritance should attend a performance of this play before the will is read because it deals with the “who gets what after mother dies?” issues of sharing and desperation to avoid caring. The splendid Stephanie Cole is the matriarch Penelope looking back over three

There is a rumble of support from a packed audience of a certain age as Penelope gives her offspring a financial lesson. Katherine Heath and Nicholas Osmond add the daubs of love interest by portraying Penelope and her wartime lover Richard as well as two young troubled people, Antonia and Danus, who ensure a dying woman’s last wish to visit Cornwall is fulfilled.

Those who have read the Rosamunde Pilcher tale of greedy offspring could be forgiven for wondering how on earth it could be done.

The characters are so detailed and the story so involved but it has been done and fabulous it is too.

Stephanie Cole gives a stunning performance in the demanding role of Penelope who is in the winter of her life and unwell.

Veronica Roberts is great as the forceful, matronly, bossy boots daughter Nancy and Ian Shaw is so convincing as the grabbing, selfish son Noel.

Every so often a production comes to the theatre which stands out as special, and this is one of them.

It is a very moving story, brilliantly acted by all.

David Taylor directs a star cast led by Stephanie Cole in the role of Penelope Keeling, an artist’s daughter who looks back over her full and varied life but is far from her dotage, when she discovers that her most treasured possession – her father’s painting The Shell Seekers is worth a small fortune. As a result, Penelope’s strength and desires are set to conflict with those of her family. The very real characters of Pilcher’s writing come to life full of warmth and humour in a beautifully haunting story.

Cole’s performance is every bit as extraordinary as her character, with passion, reflection and wonderful humour.

Timothy Carlton as Penelope’s father Lawrence brings a wonderful glow to the stage with each appearance. Paul Chapman as art expert Roy Brookner is a stable influence on proceedings portraying a character that is genuine to the core, likewise Jacqueline Clarke’s housekeeper. In extreme contrast, henpecked George from Martin Wimbush who has a wonderful moment of revenge, much to the delight of the audience.

Without doubt this is a classic production of a wonderful novel.

Flitting as it does between modern times in the Cotswolds and Second World War days by the sea in Cornwall, it appeared a challenging task.

I needn’t have worried. A combination of a faithful script by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham, an imaginative stage set – where strategic pictures rose and fell to depict changing interiors - and an outstanding cast – many familiar faces from TV and film – ensured there was no disappointment for those familiar with this tale of love, loss and greed.

The consistently impressive Stephanie Cole took the lead role of Penelope, a grandmother just released from hospital after a heart attack, who

I didn’t expect much laughter, but the story’s translation from page to stage creates some terrific comic moments – particularly involving the perpetually flustered and bossy Nancy, her misplaced snobbish jealousy, and her poor hen-pecked husband George (Martin Wimbush).

Young lovers across the generations, Katherine Heath and Nicholas Osmond – tug at the heartstrings. And there were more than a few tear-stained faces, mine included, as we left the auditorium. More of a gentle chug along on a stream engine than a rollercoaster ride, The Shell Seekers is both charming and absorbing.

So how does the Rosamunde Pilcher novel translate to the more immediate medium of the theatre? The answer is “successfully”, due to the theatrical sensitivity of the adaptors, Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham who shape the humour and the charismatic performance of Stephanie Cole in the central role of Penelope.

The play is romantic and undemanding, and has an Autumnal feel. Penelope, the daughter of a famous artist, is recovering from a heart attack and senses “time’s winged chariot drawing near”.

Her shallow, materialistic children are keen to persuade her to sell her assets, including her father’s valuable painting the Shell Seekers and to gift the money in order to avoid inheritance tax.

Karen Drury as Olivia, Ian Shaw as Noel and Veronica Roberts as Nancy give excellent performances as the children from hell. As the beautiful young lovers, Catherine Heath and Nicholas Osmond exude a gentle charm.

Rosamunde Pilcher is renowned for her descriptive powers, particularly landscape. Set Designer Simon Higlett captures this broad sweep of place in a series of framed images.

The play like the novel, is reflective and doesn’t always make for dynamic theatre, but Director David Taylor explores all the warmth of the story and keeps the interest alive.

Stephanie Cole brings her considerable lyrical ability to the final scenes and the uniformly believable cast spread a “feel good factor” throughout the theatre.

The plot follows the family and two of Penelope’s children, Nancy and Noel, realise how much their grandfather’s paintings are worth. They try to get their mother to part with his work called The Shell Seekers purely for their own benefit in the form of inheritance. Penelope’s other daughter Olivia, a magazine executive, wants her siblings to let their mother decide what she wants to do with their own property.

To give any more of the plot away would spoil the show but I will say that the flashback scenes that show why Penelope is the way she is about life are magnificent.

Former Brookside actress Karen Drury shines in the part of Olivia while Veronica Roberts (Nancy) and Ian Shaw (Noel excel at being particularly devious and utterly selfish.

Jacqueline Clarke, who plays Ellen, Penelope’s housekeeper and friend, had the loyalty the part needed to perfection, while Nicholas Osmond, in the roles of Danus and Richard, was superb at playing two characters meant to look similar (if you see it, or have seen it, you’ll know what I mean).

The Shell Seekers has to be one of the best, if not the best production I’ve seen at The Royal so I think it goes without saying I’d recommend it to anyone.

Anyone in the sell-out audience who had come to see Stephanie Cole in the lead role would not have been disappointed with her performance – it was effortless. She was supported by a strong cast including Karen Drury, best known for playing ill-fated Susannah Farnham in Brookside; Veronica Roberts and Ian Shaw as her squabbling children, Olivia, Nancy and Noel.

The script by husband and wife Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham had many comic lines, delivered expertly by the cast and the flashbacks used to tell the story of Penelope’s life worked well. The Shell Seekers made me laugh and cry and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good story.