It is almost 2 years since Rob Fennah’s adaptation of Helen
Forrester’s By the Waters of Liverpool had its world premiere at Liverpool
Empire. Now embarking on a major tour, the show benefits tremendously from the
intimacy of a smaller auditorium.
Although it bears the title of the third novel in Helen
Forrester’s autobiographical quartet, the play contains material from all four
books, including references to Twopence to Cross the Mersey, which Fennah
has previously brought to the stage in both musical and straight theatrical
versions.
Setting a story like this one for the stage is a tricky
business. It spans a broad time period, from the stock market crash of 1929
through to the Second World War, and therefore has to propel its audience
through the decades at speed to cram it all into a single evening of theatre. To
do this Fennah employs a method he refers to as ‘Story Theatre’, in which the
actors use direct address to the audience, effectively reciting passages of
description from the novels, and characters tell us who they are and what they
are doing.
At first this technique can feel strangely alienating, but
it undeniably manages to deliver a lot more storytelling than could be achieved
with straight dramatisation. The alternative would have been to cut out a great
deal of the detail, which Fennah was loath to do, having worked closely with
the author over the years and having the desire to present the material as
faithfully as possible to her words.
Since its initial run at the Empire the play has undergone
substantial development, sharpening up the delivery significantly, especially
in the second act. In particular, the closing scenes have been tightened to
allow the hammer blow of the story’s ending to land much more convincingly than
before. It is a story about family tensions and loyalty, self-sacrifice and,
ultimately, great personal tragedy. The local detail, including familiar names
of places, people and businesses from Liverpool’s past, raises a strong
reaction from the audience, and it will be interesting to learn how this fares
further afield as the show tours the country.
A cast of nine play multiple roles, with the narration
helping to separate them from each other. The weight of the story is carried by
Lucy Dixon who plays Helen Forrester herself, with great poise and charm. It’s
a sincere and affectionate labour of love from all concerned, and tells Helen’s
story with a very warm heart.
After this brief run at the Floral Pavilion, By the Waters
of Liverpool tours a further 16 venues, among which is a week at Liverpool’s
Epstein Theatre in May.
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| Production photography by David Munn |
Star Rating: 4 Stars
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
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