Premiere Of Twopence Sequel Announced To Be Staged At The Liverpool Empire In 2018

A new stage play based on the best-selling book by acclaimed Twopence To Cross The Mersey author Helen Forrester is to receive its U.K. premiere in Liverpool.

By The Waters Of Liverpool is being staged at the Liverpool Empire from Tuesday, 2nd October to Saturday, 13th October 2018.

Tickets go on sale on Friday 27th October to A.T.G. Theatre Card and Monday 30th October to the general public.

The play follows the smash-hit success of Forrester’s Twopence To Cross The Mersey and is being brought to audiences by the team behind both the musical and stage play versions of the award-winning true story.

More than 170,000 people have seen Twopence since it was premiered and now the long-awaited sequel visits the theatre where it all began.

Rob Fennah wrote both the stage play versions of Twopence To Cross The Mersey and By The Waters Of Liverpool. This next chapter in Helen Forrester’s life story is once again produced by Pulse Records Ltd. in association with Bill Elms.

At 17, Helen had fought and won two bitter battles with her parents. The first one to educate herself and the second was for the right to go out to work. Her parents are as financially irresponsible as ever, wasting money while their children still lack adequate food and clothing. For Helen, things are looking up as she begins to make new friends and develop some social life outside the home

In 1939, now aged 20 and with Britain on the brink of war, Helen has never been kissed by a man. That is until she meets a tall strong seaman, and falls in love.

By The Waters Of Liverpool has sold more than a million books. Now this is your chance to see it come to life on stage in this exciting new stage play adaptation.

Rob Fennah, co-producer and writer, said, “Over the years people have asked me when the next part of Helen’s story was going to hit the stage. Now I have an answer for them – next October at the Liverpool Empire!

I adapted By The Waters Of Liverpool as a stage play for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was intended by Helen to be her final volume of autobiography. Secondly, By The Waters Of Liverpool was as big a seller as Twopence and all Helen’s readers out there have waited long enough to see it on the stage.

The fact that her family has fully endorsed the writing of the new show is the icing on the cake. I have always said that, without their full support, I would not do it. Helen entrusted me with her most famous work and it is my responsibility to make sure all her readers recognise it as the story they know and love so well.

Being back at the Empire Theatre, the place where it all started, is also something I am really looking forward to. Helen loved the Empire and she would have been thrilled to know we were going back there.”

The new stage adaptation is fully endorsed by the Helen Forrester estate, and is part of the Liverpool Empire’s celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the city’s highly-successful European Capital of Culture year.

Helen Forrester’s son Robert Bhatia said, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Twopence To Cross The Mersey as a stage play. The staging was innovative and appropriate to the book. And the cast, led by Maria Lovelady who played my mother, was superb.

I am now looking forward to the new production of By The Waters Of Liverpool when it opens at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool next October. This is where my mother attended the premiere of Twopence, so for my family and I it will be a very special occasion.

Empire Theatre Director, Diane Belding added, “We’re absolutely delighted to present the premiere of By The Waters Of Liverpool during the Liverpool Capital of Culture 10 year celebrations. It’s going to be fantastic to have a Liverpool story during such an exciting time for the city and we’re pleased to have been chosen to host the first performance of this show, particularly after we hosted the premiere of its prequel Twopence To Cross The Mersey.”

Tickets go on sale on Friday 27th October to A.T.G. Theatre Card and Monday 30th October to the general public. Tickets are priced from £12 plus booking fees.