REVIEW: TwoPence To Cross The Mersey - The Stage Play

The stage play adapted from Helen Forrester's best-selling book made a monumental voyage and crossed the Mersey river on Sunday as it played at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton. The adaptation has been on a 6 week tour and has to date received the highest of feedback and positive review. There is little doubt as to why this has been the case. 

The performance kicked off at 6pm with the theatre full to capacity with period music being played in the background as the audience eagerly awaited the appearance of the 8- strong cast. Staged by Pulse records, written by Rob Fennah, directed by Bob Eaton, produced by Lynn McDermott, Rob Fennah and Bill Elms, the play tells the true story of a young girl and her formerly wealthy family as they are suddenly thrown into poverty during the Great Depression of the 1930's.  They leave the South West of England and start a new life in Liverpool. What ensues is a devastating departure from the luxurious life they enjoyed in their middle class status to deprivation and poverty.

Each cast member narrated and introduced the next rather cleverly and then the characters proceeded to describe themselves, detailing what they were wearing to characteristics of their personality. I loved how each cast member took on the role of supplementary characters as well as lead ones. It was a testament to their acting ability because you viewed each character individually and there was a clear demarcation between them despite them being played by the same person. There was humour from the outset as well as sadness and a tangible measure of fear and trepidation. Maria Lovelady who plays Helen is magnificent throughout. She captured the vulnerability, strength, grit and humility of the protagonist superbly. You could not help but feel enamoured with her as she shared her plight. It was an exceptional performance and she was perfectly cast for this role. Daniel Davies played Helen's younger brother Alan. From the moment he appeared on stage with his excellent diction and stage presence, it was obvious that he was going to captivate and give a credible performance. His interaction with Maria was brilliant. You really believed their struggle and got a true sense of the sibling relationship. Daniel is clearly destined for greatness if this performance is anything to go on.

Christopher Jordan who plays Helen's father also gave a sterling performance and as well feeling sorry for him for his predicament, you also could not help but want to shake him for him not being dynamic and proactive. You sit back and observe as in the words of Helen "his fall from grace is complete". Emma Dears who plays Helen's mum is fantastic. She conveyed the rigid persona of Helen's mum with ease. Her stiff upper lip, pride and selfishness evoked a reaction in the audience member and made you warm to Helen all the more. Like Helen's father, she was totally inept as a parent. Eithne Brown plays a number of characters in the play and is totally mesmerising. It is a testament to her skill as an actress that she is able to portray the qualities of the different characters so distinctly and effectively. She is funny, she is compassionate and she is in your face. Before she leaves the stage she can often be heard to say "and then she vanished". The memory of her however remains.

Jake Abraham imparts wisdom to Helen when he plays the old gentleman in the park, this was an extremely touching scene. He admonishes "It's not what happens to you in life Helen, it's how you deal with it". He was also fabulous throughout in his roles of the man at Lime Street Station, Billy, Frank, Mr Ferris and Joe.

Roy Carruthers had such gravitas and I loved the way that he conveyed extremes in the characters that he played. From the bully O'Farrell to the compassionate Father Armstrong. Brian Dodd was excellent especially in his role as the policeman. The tears were almost flowing during the scene where he shows Helen compassion.

In summary, this stage adaptation of Wirral born Helen Forrester's story is an absolute triumph. I have never read the book but plan to purchase it along with her memoirs. It is stunning, totally mesmerising and a pleasure to watch. The delivery of each cast member was exceptional. It takes you on an emotional journey and you feel like a fly on the wall. You feel Helen's struggle and you feel frustration towards her parents as well as a sense of helplessness. This is a must -see. It plays at Floral Pavilion until Thursday 23rd April. Tickets are available here

TWOPENCE TO CROSS THE MERSEY – The Stage Play

Floral Pavilion

Marine Promenade, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 2JS

Sun 19 April – Thu 23 April

Eve: Sun 6:00pm, Mon-Thu 7:30pm

Mats: Wed and Thu 2:30pm

Ticket Prices: From £15

How to Book: Booking Hotline 0151 666 0000