The actress who will take the lead role of young Helen Forrester in Twopence To Cross The Mersey has been announced by producers of the new stage play.

Open auditions were held last week at the Epstein Theatre Liverpool and Widnes born Maria Lovelady was chosen from almost 50 aspiring actresses who were all keen to take the play’s lead role.

Maria will now join the team and tour the play in Spring 2015, when it visits four Merseyside theatres between the 10th March and 23rd April, 2015.

The tour opens with a three-week run at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre (10th to 28th March), followed by visits to Southport Theatre (9th to 11th April) and St. Helens Theatre Royal (14th to 16th April) and ends with a trip across the River Mersey to the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton (19th to 23rd April).

Maria trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and studied musical theatre at the Liverpool Theatre School. She has held lead roles including Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and has also appeared in several short films and music videos.

Maria is thrilled to be performing in her home city, when the play opens at the Epstein Theatre Liverpool.

Maria Lovelady commented, “I am so pleased to be involved in a production whose story is so loved amongst the people of Liverpool as it is such a vivid painting of Liverpool at a particular time. Having trained and lived in Liverpool it is a great honour for me as, when a student, I performed in school productions at several of the theatres we will be visiting on the tour, so it will be great to revisit these venues in a professional show.

Helen’s son Robert will be coming from Canada to watch our production so that is a real honour. I will be doing my best to recreate the character of Helen, but Robert will be the best judge. I hope he will be happy that his mother’s story lives on and is still relevant today.”

Producer and stage writer Rob Fennah said, “The story of Twopence To Cross The Mersey is still very much loved by Liverpool audiences so we are looking forward to taking the new stage play on tour across Merseyside in the Spring.

Almost 50 actresses took part in the open auditions and we were very impressed with the quality of those who took the time to come along. Maria is a very talented actress and we are excited to see how she can develop and bring Helen’s character to life. She will be a real asset to the production.”

Helen Forrester’s Twopence to Cross the Mersey tells the true story of a young girl and her formerly wealthy family as they are suddenly thrown into poverty during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Leaving behind the nannies, servants and comfortable middle-class life in the South West of England, they uproot their shattered lives and choose Liverpool as the place to start again to rebuild their dreams and fortune. Unbeknown to them however, a terrible shock awaits them.

In its earlier format, the musical version of the show had four hugely successful runs at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre, firstly in 2004 and then returning in 2005, 2007 and 2009, with Rob Fennah and production company Pulse Records.

The new version is being staged by Pulse in collaboration with producer and stage writer Rob Fennah and new co-producer Bill Elms. They are joined by Liverpool director Bob Eaton. During an illustrious career spanning more than 40 years, Bob has directed more than 80 professional productions in regional theatres across England, London, New York and Hong Kong. Bob has also written and co-written over 20 plays, musicals and musical adaptations – and most recently won praise for the return of Lennon the musical to Liverpool.

A full all-star cast will be announced soon.