The Producers of Helen Forrester’s ‘By The Waters Of Liverpool’ announce first wave of cast

The producers of Helen Forrester’s By The Waters Of Liverpool are thrilled to announced the first wave of cast for the play’s major UK tour in Spring 2020.

By The Waters Of Liverpool which appears on stage at The Plaza from Tuesday 10th to Thursday 12th March 2020 is the stunning production from the team that brought you Helen Forrester’s timeless story, Twopence To Cross The Mersey.

After a hugely successful premiere run at the Liverpool Empire Theatre last Autumn, the play will now make its way round the country telling the next part of Helen’s fascinating tale. Writer and friend of Helen Forrester, Rob Fennah has written both the stage play versions of Twopence To Cross The Mersey and By The Waters Of Liverpool.

The new touring production is again produced by Pulse Records Limited in association with Bill Elms and is directed by Gareth Tudor Price and the creative team are delighted to reveal the first cast members for the 2020 tour.

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.  He returned to play the role in By The Waters Of Liverpool in 2018. Mark is best known for his roles in Holby City, Coronation Street and Brookside.

Coronation Street and Doctor Who’s, Eric Potts will play ‘Mr Ellis’, Helen’s fiery-tempered boss. Eric has also appeared in Peak Practice, Heartbeat, The Royal, Last of the Summer Wine and Steel River Blues.

Other confirmed cast members are Lynn Francis as the ‘Deaconess’; Danny O’Brien as ‘Harry O’Dwyer’; Chloe McDonald as ‘Fiona’ (Helen’s sister); and Roy Carruthers as ‘The Detective’.

The search is now taking place to find the lead role of ‘Helen’ – together with ‘Mother’ and ‘Alan’ (Helen’s brother).

Millions of people know Helen Forrester’s best-selling volumes of autobiography – Twopence To Cross The Mersey, Liverpool Miss and By The Waters Of Liverpool.

By The Waters Of Liverpool is a period drama set in the 1930s. The story opens in 1935. Helen Forrester is 16 years old  and fighting a bitter battle with her parents for the right to educate herself and go out to work.

During the Great Depression, Helen’s father lost his fortune when the stock market and the family were suddenly thrown into poverty. Leaving behind the nannies, servants and comfortable middle-class life in the South West of England, the Forrester’s chose Liverpool as the place to start over. They were in for a terrible shock. Taken out of school to care for her younger brothers and sisters while her parents struggled to re-build their shattered lives, Helen is treated as an unpaid slave and desperate to escape.

By 1939, now aged 20 and with Britain on the brink of war, she has never been kissed by a man. But things start looking up for Helen when she meets a tall strong seaman and falls in love.

Tickets are on sale now for this sensational production which promises to be one of the many highlights of The Plaza spring season in 2020