Rob Fennah’s theatrical adaptation of Helen Forrester’s much loved biographical novel Twopence To Cross The Mersey has already seen a transformation into a musical version, and has been followed up by a sequel, By The Waters of Liverpool, which is also embarking on a new tour shortly.
This new production is a freshened and tightened version of the original (non-musical) theatrical adaptation and, after this opening run at the Floral Pavilion, it tours a further 14 venues, ending in November at Southport’s Atkinson and Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre.
Fennah has clearly made a conscious effort to make the theatrical experience feel very much more like reading a book rather than a straight dramatisation. As in both this work’s previous versions and in his sequel, he frequently has his characters describing their own actions as they perform them, and even describing the clothes they themselves are wearing, in addition to having the central character of Helen (here played beautifully by Jenny Murphy) acting as narrator of her own family’s story.
Whilst this narrative technique certainly offers due deference to the original storytelling of the source novels, it occasionally leads to some awkward shifts in tense and pace. It is noticeable that in the second act the drama unfolds with more fluidity as the dialogue becomes less stylised and more natural.
The writing is matched by the strorybook feel of Richard Foxton’s richly painted set designs and by the period detail of the costume, all sumptuously lit by Ian Scott and James Stokes. There is a disarming simplicity to the staging, and the use of suggested rather than physical locations for many of the scenes enables the action to progress seamlessly from place to place, unhindered by awkward scene changes.
The overwhelming charm of the play comes, of course, from the story behind it. Knowing that the deprivation and sacrifices endured by Helen as her hapless mother and father stumble from one domestic crisis to another is based on fact makes the piece all the more telling. Several of the performers are reprising their roles from earlier versions, among whom Mark Moraghan is Helen’s father, and his increasing air of heavy sadness is portrayed with measured care. Lynn Francis plays Mother as a sort of tragic Hyacinth Bucket, laying on a thick veneer of haughty faux-poshness while the cold, brittle, self-serving character beneath the crumbling surface is clearly visible.
A tragic story like this needs its light relief, and both Fennah and director Gareth Tudor Price manage to weave quite a few comic turns into the action. Several of the supporting cast play multiple roles, many of which are there to offer these blasts of witty fresh air. In particular Lynn Fitzgerald, Daniel Taylor and Chloe McDonald have plenty of light-hearted moments to lift the dramatic atmosphere.
Whilst the first act might still benefit from a further injection of energy, Twopence To Cross The Mersey is a heartfelt and sincere dramatisation. The novel is held in such high regard by its fans that creating a theatrical version that delights those readers is no mean feat, and the rapturous reaction of the audience amply demonstrates the overall success of this production.
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| The cast of Twopence To Cross The Mersey - image © Anthony Robling |
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
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