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New 'Twopence' Play
Premieres Next Month and will celebrate 21 years on stage
Photograph taken by:- David Munn.
IT is now just over a month until the
new stage play version of Helen Forrester's hit musical:- 'Twopence to
Cross the Mersey' embarks on a 6 week tour of four Merseyside theatres.
The Merseyside Spring tour will visit Liverpool, Southport, St Helens and New
Brighton between 10 March and 23 April 2015.
The new ensemble production features 8 cast members, including a number of faces
familiar to Liverpool theatregoers, namely Eithne Browne, Jake Abrahams and Emma
Dears.
The tour opens with a 3 week run at the Epstein Theatre Liverpool, over 10 March
to 28 March. This is followed by visits to Southport Theatre, 9 April to 11
April and St Helens Theatre Royal, 14 April to 16 April. The tour ends with a
trip across the River Mersey to the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton over 19
April to 23 April 2015.
The full cast line up is:- Emma Dears (Judy &
Liza, Les Miserables) as Mother, Christopher Jordan (Moving On, Coronation
Street) as Father, Young Helen is played by Maria Lovelady and with Young Alan
played by Daniel Stephen Davies, all of which make up the Forrester family.
Eithne Browne (Brookside, Brick Up The Mersey Tunnel), Jake Abraham (Lock Stock
and Two Smoking Barrels, Game of Thrones), Roy Carruthers (Night Collar, Tales
from Haunted Liverpool) and Brian Dodd (Tony Teardrop, Treasured) all take on
lead roles, as well as supplementary characters throughout.
In its earlier format, the musical version of the show had four hugely
successful runs at:- Liverpool's Empire Theatre, firstly in 1994 and then
returning in:- 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009, with Rob Fennah and production company
Pulse Records Ltd.
The new version is being staged by Pulse in collaboration with producer and
stage writer Rob Fennah and new co-producer Bill Elms. They are joined by
director Bob Eaton. The show will celebrate 21 years on stage during its
Merseyside tour which also starred Eithne Browne.
During an illustrious career spanning more than 40 years, Bob has directed more
than 80 professional productions in regional theatres across England, London,
New York and Hong Kong. Bob has also written and co-written over 20 plays,
musicals and musical adaptations and most recently won praise for the return of
Lennon the musical to Liverpool.
Producer and stage writer Rob Fennah said:- "This is a new stage play
adaptation of Helen's book and follows our very successful musical version,
which Helen came to see nearly 21 years ago when premiered at the Empire theatre
in Liverpool. In fact, the performance on April 9th will mark the show's coming
of age! But I must point out, everything about this production is different; new
set, new script; new director. Together with the strong and talented cast we
have found to tour this Spring, taking the play across Merseyside theatres and
introducing more theatregoers to Helen's fascinating story is something we are
all looking forward to."
Helen Forrester's 'Twopence to Cross the Mersey' 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. Leaving behind
the nannies, servants and comfortable middle class life in the South West of
England, they uproot their shattered lives and choose Liverpool as the place to
start again to rebuild their dreams and fortune. Unbeknown to them however, a
terrible shock awaits them.
Theatregoers also have an extra incentive to catch the show following a
collaboration with Merseyrail; they can travel by train to selected performances
at 2 Merseyside venues for just 2 pence. And according to the organisers, this
is the first time that people have been able to cross the River Mersey for just
2p since 1948.
The specially priced train tickets will be available for people travelling into
Liverpool for the Epstein Theatre's matinee and evening performances (2.30pm and
7.30pm) on Wednesday, 18 March 2015. This will be followed on Wednesday, 22
April 2015, for theatregoers travelling across the Mersey to New Brighton for
the Floral Pavilion's matinee and evening performances. Ticket holders can
register for a ticket online via the Merseyrail
website. The 2p will be collected at the
theatre on arrival and will go to the production charity partner North West
Cancer Research.
PLEASE NOTE:- The travel will be for a return off peak journey for up to four
people from anywhere on the Merseyrail network (Northern and Wirral Lines only;
City Line not included).
Merseyrail passengers can also enjoy a £2 discount off their'Twopence to
Cross the Mersey' tickets for any performance at any of the tour's four
venues (the offer is available via promotional material available at stations
across the Merseyrail network; Northern and Wirral lines only; and upon
production of a valid Merseyrail ticket).
For more information visit:-
EpsteinLiverpool.Co.UK or log on to:-
Facebook or follow them on:-
Twitter. |
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Benidorm Actress Backs
Campaign To Help End Domestic Abuse!!!
AWARD winning actress Crissy Rock is
backing a new anti domestic abuse campaign across Cheshire and Merseyside in the
run up to Valentine's Day.
'Be a Lover not a Fighter' is asking the public to pledge their support
to help put an end to domestic abuse. It aims to raise awareness of the often
hidden issue by encouraging people to talk about it.
1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have suffered domestic abuse with 2 women killed
every week in the UK by their partners. But it's not just physical violence;
emotional and psychological abuse is less well acknowledged, but is also
domestic abuse.
The new campaign is being run by Champs, a public health collaborative across
the 9 local authorities in Cheshire and Merseyside and will see a series of
awareness raising initiatives to provoke discussion of domestic abuse and help
bring the subject out into the open.
These initiatives will take place on social media, face to face with 18
engagement events across the local area and via a dedicated campaign website
where people can sign up to pledge their support to the campaign.
Crissy Rock, who stars as Janey
York in the hit TV series Benidorm, is just 1 of a number of well
known local figures backing the campaign which will be active during
the Valentines month of February.
Others supporters, including, Shameless actress Karen Bryson,
Hollyoaks actress Jennifer Metcalfe, Everton Football Club's
Ambassadors Ian Snodin, Graham Sharp and Graham Stuart, and Miguel
De Foro, from Britain's Got Talent's MD Productions, have recorded
videos of support showing their 'heart hands' which
will be shared on social media for the public to join in with their
own.
Liverpool singer Asa Murphy has re-recorded his song:- 'One
More Chance' based on a domestic abuse story especially for
the campaign.
Matthew Ashton, the Director of Public Health spokesperson for the
campaign said:- "Domestic abuse is an issue that is still kept
very much behind closed doors. People know it goes on, but they
don't talk about it. This campaign aims to breakdown boundaries and
stop domestic abuse being a hidden issue in communities. We want to
encourage people to pledge their support, join in and make a
'heart hands' video for social media and we're delighted to
have the backing of a number of celebrities to help in the cause to
end domestic abuse. I would encourage people to take part in the
engagement events and find out more about the wealth of help and
support that is available across Merseyside and Cheshire to help end
domestic abuse."
Crissy Rock, who suffered years of
domestic abuse herself said:- "I can't say enough about how
much people should talk about this issue. If it helps just one woman
overcome her fear and be able to leave that situation then it's
worth it. If more people are aware of what domestic abuse is, the
types of abuse out there and that it isn't as simple as just leaving
that person then there will be more survivors."
Another survivor "Sarah" from Liverpool said:-
"I welcome the campaign and I'm looking forward to seeing the heart
hand symbol being used as part of it as it shows a much more
positive activity for your hands. Domestic abuse affects people of
all walks of life, regardless of class, gender and position. The
more we can do to spread that message the better."
For more information about the campaign, where the engagement events
are being held or to find out how you can pledge your support go
to:-LoverNotFighter.Org.UK.
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