The full cast for the first major UK national tour of Helen Forrester’s Twopence To Cross The Mersey has been announced.
Twopence To Cross The Mersey UK Premiere Tour 2022 opens this September in Wirral, a place which features heavily in Helen’s million-selling books.
The hit stage drama has been revamped and updated as it gears up to visit 15 venues nationwide during Autumn 2022. The 9-strong cast, playing over 40 characters, has now been announced and includes five cast members who have appeared in its sister show By The Waters Of Liverpool.
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 creative team are delighted to reveal the cast Mark Moraghan, Daniel Taylor, Parry Glasspool, Jenny Murphy, Lynn Francis, Lynne Fitzgerald, Robert Hudson, Roy Carruthers, and Chloe McDonald.
The tour opens on Tuesday 6th September at the New Brighton Floral Pavilion in Wirral and will continue through to mid-November visiting a further 14 venues in Rhyl, Stockport, Crewe, St Helens, Blackpool, Warrington, Darlington, Halifax, Croydon, Coventry, Lichfield, Bolton and Southport, before closing in Liverpool.
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 MountView 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.
Millions of people around the world know Helen Forrester’s life story 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 celebrated in 2020 when an iconic Blue Plaque was unveiled at the late author’s family home in Hoylake, a place which featured heavily in her work.
Playwright and producer Rob Fennah explained: “Twopence To Cross The Mersey is such a poignant true story and, although based in the 1930s, it tackles many scenarios people can still relate to today. It’s the main reason why it has remained so popular across the UK and around the world. Now we have our cast in place we can actually start believing we are taking the production on its first major tour after such a challenging few years for live theatre and entertainment.
“Helen Forrester was an incredible woman, and we are proud to continue to be custodians of her fascinating stories. Some years ago Helen and I grew to be good friends, and we shared many letters and lengthy telephone conversations about her life story. There were some real gems in amongst those conversations which I have now written into this new adaptation – fascinating memories of the late author that didn’t find their way into her books.”
Director Gareth Tudor Price added: “We’d not long opened By The Waters Of Liverpool – sister show to Twopence – when the pandemic brought everything to a standstill. But I now have the privilege to direct the first instalment which sets the scene for Helen’s life. The cast is strong, and a few already have special links with Helen’s work, so anticipation is high. We’re now counting down the months until we all gather in the rehearsal room and once again bring Helen’s work to life on stage.”
This year’s nationwide tour of Twopence To Cross The Mersey will be followed by a tour of By The Waters Of Liverpool in Spring 2023.
Adapted by Rob Fennah · Directed by Gareth Tudor Price
Produced by Pulse Records Limited in association with Bill Elms
Fully endorsed by the Helen Forrester Estate
Website: www.twopencetocrossthemersey.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TwopenceThePlay
LISTING INFORMATION
HELEN FORRESTER’S
TWOPENCE TO CROSS THE MERSEY
FLORAL PAVILION
Tuesday 6th September – Sunday 11th September 2022
Marine Promenade, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 2JS
Website: www.floralpavilion.com
Box Office: 0151 666 0000
RHYL PAVILION
Wednesday 14th September – Friday 17th September 2022
East Parade, Rhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 3AQ
Website: www.rhylpavilion.co.uk
Box Office: 01745 330000
STOCKPORT PLAZA
Monday 19th September – Tuesday 20th September 2022
Mersey Square, Stockport, SK1 1SP
Website: www.stockportplaza.co.uk
Box Office: 0161 477 7779
CREWE LYCEUM
Wednesday 21st September – Saturday 24th September 2022
Heath Street, Crewe, CW1 2DA
Website: www.crewelyceum.co.uk
Box Office: 0343 310 0050
ST HELENS THEATRE ROYAL
Tuesday 27th September – Saturday 1st October 2022
Corporation Street, St Helens, WA10 1LQ
Website: www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com
Box Office: 01744 756000
GRAND THEATRE BLACKPOOL
Tuesday 4th October – Thursday 6th October 2022
33 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 1HT
Website: https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/
Box Office: 01253 290190
WARRINGTON PARR HALL
Saturday 8th October – Sunday 9th October 2022
Palmyra Square, Warrington, WA1 1BL
Website: https://parrhall.culturewarrington.org/whats-on
Box Office: 01925 442345
DARLINGTON HIPPODROME
Tuesday 11th October – Wednesday 12th October 2022
Parkgate, Darlington, DL1 1RR
Website: www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
Box Office: 01325 405405
HALIFAX VICTORIA
Thursday 13th October – Friday 14th October 2022
Fountain Street, Halifax, HX1 1BP
Website: www.victoriatheatre.co.uk
Box Office: 01422 351158
CROYDON FAIRFIELD HALLS
Monday 17th October – Tuesday 18th October 2022
Park Lane, Croydon, CR9 1DG
Website: www.bhlivetickets.co.uk
Box Office: 0300 500 0595
COVENTRY ALBANY
Wednesday 19th October – Friday 21st October 2022
Albany Road, Coventry, CV5 6JQ
Website: www.albanytheatre.co.uk
Box Office: 024 7699 8964
LICHFIELD GARRICK
Saturday 22nd October – Sunday 23rd October 2022
Castle Dyke, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6HR
Website: https://www.lichfieldgarrick.com/
Box Office: 01543 412121
BOLTON ALBERT HALLS
Tuesday 25th October – Thursday 27th October 2022
Victoria Square, Bolton, BL1 1RU
Website: www.alberthalls-bolton.co.uk
Box Office: 0343 208 0500
SOUTHPORT ATKINSON
Tuesday 1st November – Friday 4th November 2022
Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DB
Website: www.theatkinson.co.uk
Box Office: 01704 533333
EPSTEIN THEATRE LIVERPOOL
Saturday 5th November – Saturday 12th November 2022
85 Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 3DZ
Website: www.epsteintheatre.co.uk
Box Office: 0844 888 9991