0
As North West audiences prepare for the return of the best-selling, smash hit stage play version of Helen Forrester’s Twopence to Cross the Mersey in Autumn 2016, producers Pulse Records in association with Bill Elms, have today announced a partnership with Church and charity, The Salvation Army.
Audiences will be able to donate to The Salvation Army at every performance during the North West and North Wales tour of the stage adaption of Helen Forrester’s story about a young girl and her formerly wealthy family who are suddenly thrown into poverty during the Great Depression of the 1930s in Liverpool.
Producer and stage writer Rob Fennah, said: “When I mentioned to Helen’s son, Robert Bhatia, that the Salvation Army was to be our charity partner he was thrilled. Helen had written of her affection for the Salvation Army in passages from her books he told me. He emailed the relevant passages to me and said his mother would have been very pleased.”
Money raised at each performance will help to fund the work of the Church and charity supporting some of the most vulnerable people in the community.
Major Drew McCombe, Divisional Commander for North Western region at The Salvation Army, said: “We run a number of community projects, and centres across the region including Lifehouses which are residential centres supporting those experiencing homelessness.
“We are delighted that audiences of the latest Twopence to Cross the Mersey tour will have the opportunity to donate to this work which is transforming lives in every community the play is set to visit.”
The Salvation Army is a movement Helen Forrester was only too aware of while writing Twopence to Cross the Mersey and wrote in a letter:
“Every week the Salvation Army Band came to our street corner, all dressed up in their uniforms, cymbals clashing, drums rattling, trumpets blowing. They would play all kinds of lively hymn tunes, while we stood and listened, and sometimes joined in the singing. Another musical effort was that of the hurdy-gurdy man. He had a monkey with him, who used to carry a hat round the audience to collect pennies from us. Then there were sad Welsh miners, standing in the gutters and singing superbly their Welsh songs for pennies.”
The tour begins at Liverpool’s Royal Court theatre and a Salvation Army band from local corps (church), Walton, will perform as the audience arrive for the evening press night performance on 21st September 2016. The tour then continues to a further six venues across the region.
FULL TOUR LISTING
TWOPENCE TO CROSS THE MERSEY – The Stage Play
LIVERPOOL
Royal Court Theatre
20 September – 8 October 2016
0151 709 4321
www.royalcourtliverpool.com
RHYL
Pavilion Theatre
12 – 15 October 2016
01745 330000
www.rhylpavilion.co.uk
PRESTON
Charter Theatre
19 – 22 October 2016
01772 804444
www.prestonguildhall.com
SOUTHPORT
Theatre and Convention Centre
24 – 27 October 2016
0844 871 3021
www.atgtickets.com/southport
WARRINGTON
Pyramid & Parr Hall
28 – 29 October 2016
01925 442345
www.pyramidparrhall.com
STOCKPORT
Plaza Theatre
1 – 4 November 2016
0161 477 7779
www.stockportplaza.co.uk
ST HELENS
Theatre Royal
7 – 12 November 2016
01704 756000
www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com