TWOPENCE TO CROSS THE MERSEY Comes Home To Liverpool To End Its Premiere UK Tour

The first UK national tour of Helen Forrester's Twopence To Cross The Mersey comes to an end next month in Liverpool. The show opened on the Wirral in September - a place which features heavily in Helen's million-selling books and where the celebrated author spent much of her childhood. The much-loved production now comes home to the city where it all began.

Twopence To Cross The Mersey UK premiere tour 2022 has played to audiences across the UK at 15 venues and has been receiving 5 Star reviews and enthralling audiences.

The brand new stage production premiered at the Floral Pavilion in Wirral playing for a week. It then continued to venues in Rhyl, Stockport, Crewe, St Helens, Blackpool, Warrington, Darlington, Halifax, Croydon, Coventry, Lichfield, Bolton and Southport - now it will conclude in Liverpool at the Epstein Theatre.

Twopence To Cross The Mersey will pay The Atkinson in Southport from 1-4 November and the Epstein Theatre from 5-12 November.

The new touring production of Twopence To Cross The Mersey is produced by Rob Fennah and Lynn McDermott for Pulse Records Limited in association with Bill Elms and directed by Gareth Tudor Price.

The 9-strong cast play more than 40 characters - they are Mark Moraghan, Daniel Taylor, Parry Glasspool, Jenny Murphy, Lynn Francis, Lynne Fitzgerald, Robert Hudson, Roy Carruthers, and Chloe McDonald.

Playwright and producer Rob Fennah said: "Twopence has received some great reviews during its first full tour of the UK (another 5 star from Lichfield today) and we are all going to be at the beautiful Epstein Theatre in Liverpool to welcome it home on 5th November."

Millions of people worldwide are familiar with Helen Forrester's life story which is told through her best-selling volumes of autobiography, Twopence To Cross The Mersey, Liverpool Miss, By The Waters Of Liverpool, and Lime Street At Two.

Helen's literary achievements were further celebrated in 2020 when an iconic Blue Plaque was unveiled at the late author's family home in Hoylake on the Wirral, a place which featured heavily in her work.

The popular stage adaptation of Twopence To Cross The Mersey has been updated by writer Rob Fennah, who enjoyed a long friendship with Helen Forrester. Through their meeting of creative minds, Rob adapted Helen's book into a stage musical in 1994 which was premiered at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. Helen travelled from her home in Edmonton, Canada, to see her story brought to life on stage.

Rob later went on to develop Twopence into a straight stage play which premiered in Liverpool in 2015, before touring England's North West in 2016. Helen died in Edmonton in 2011.

The show has already received glowing reviews, here's what the Press are saying so far...

West End Best Friend - five stars "It's a beautiful, courageous story that has you hooked from the start and fighting for Helen's future. A must see!"

Stageside UK - five stars "A stunning piece of theatre, a brilliant production and a great night at the theatre."

Writebase 9/10: "This spellbinding show is a reminder of how people struggle through hard times."

Wirral Globe - four stars: "It's always uplifting to know that Helen did get to see and enjoy the sunshine after the rain. Inspiring."

Theatre Reviews North - four stars: "Helen triumphs against the odds and gives us a feel-good experience that is well worth watching."

Mark Moraghan will play John Forrester (Helen's father). Mark previously played 'Father' in the 2007 and 2009 adaptations of Twopence To Cross The Mersey, and reprised the role in the follow-up stage drama of Helen's book By The Waters Of Liverpool in 2018 and 2020. Mark is best known for his roles in Holby City, Coronation Street and Brookside.

Daniel Taylor plays Mr Ferris and is also part of the Ensemble. He is an award-winning actor, producer and director, and was most recently seen on stage in Blood Brothers. Daniel appeared at Liverpool Theatre Festival 2020 in his show The Very Best Of Tommy Cooper, and returned the following year in Something About George - The George Harrison Story.

Parry Glasspool will play Helen's brother Alan. He is best known for playing Harry Thompson in Hollyoaks. He was born and raised in the Midlands, before moving to London to study for his BA Hons in Acting for Stage and Media at the University of West London. After five years, Parry made a dramatic exit from Hollyoaks in 2020 when he was murdered.

After an open call for auditions to find Helen, Jenny Murphy was awarded the role. Jenny wowed the panel and now joins the touring production. She trained at Mount view Academy of Theatre Arts. Theatre credits include Oliver Twist, Pride & Prejudice, Merry Wives of Windsor, The Jungle Book, Cilla - The Musical, Julius Caesar, The Little Match Girl, and The Decameron.

Lynn Francis plays Helen's mother Celia Forrester, Roy Carruthers (Ensemble), and Chloe McDonald (Ensemble) - and all return having appeared in previous stage productions of Helen Forrester books presented by Pulse Records Limited.

Lynne Fitzgerald plays Mrs Foster and (Ensemble), and Robert Hudson (Ensemble) complete the cast. Both are appearing for the first time in a Helen Forrester adaptation.

This year's nationwide tour of Twopence To Cross The Mersey will be followed by a tour of By The Waters Of Liverpool in Autumn 2023.

Tour Dates

SOUTHPORT ATKINSON

Tuesday 1 November - Friday 4 November 2022

Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DB

Website: www.theatkinson.co.uk

Box Office: 01704 533333

EPSTEIN THEATRE LIVERPOOL

Saturday 5 November - Saturday 12 November 2022

85 Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 3DZ

Website: www.epsteintheatre.co.uk

Box Office: 0344 736 0151

To post a comment, you must register and login.