As Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre prepares to open its doors and welcome audiences to the new stage play of Helen Forrester’s Twopence To Cross The Mersey, meeting with renowned singer Emma Dears is something in which to appreciate, to recognise as being part of the same story that hundreds of thousands of people everyday who make their living by the shores of the River Mersey. Whether that was in the time in which the play was set or the mirroring of the generations that have followed, if not to the extreme felt and experienced by Helen Forrester’s family, each has their own story at some point of hardship, adversity and woe. It is these stories that fuel the fire of not wanting any of those negative aspects to visit Liverpool again.

Emma Dears, no stranger to the Epstein Theatre after performing on the stage during 2013 as Liza Minelli in the acclaimed production of Judy and Liza plays Helen’s mother, a pivotal role, as any mother is, in the formation of early youth and it is a role she is relishing to portray.

Congratulations on getting the role and welcome back to The Epstein!

E.D: “I’m delighted. It’s great to be back at The Epstein but the interesting thing about doing this part is that I was offered the it eight years ago when it was the musical and what happened was is that I accepted the role and then found out I was pregnant!  So although I was quite happy to go on and do the part it was decided for insurance purposes that it was too big a risk. So it’s really nice eight years later, although so be it now it’s a play and not a musical and what I’m probably known for most is my singing is so it’s really nice to be chosen just from an acting perspective.”

That must be quite a difference for you for you as a singer?

E.D: “Don’t get me wrong, I love singing and I feel like I was born to do it but sometimes it can get in the way of people thinking because you’re a good singer, then you’re only a good singer because you’re a good actor so it’s nice to sometimes to put it to one side and just be an actor. It’s something that I’m really excited about.”

Is it quite a difficult part to get the processes right for?

E.D: “The danger with this part, the part of the Mother – there’s not much that’s very endearing about her. It could become quite a caricature but when you take into consideration her own set of circumstances, when you take away the fact that she’s got children she’s not caring for, she’s probably mentally distressed and possibly mentally ill to some certain extent. Her husband has kept her in cotton wool over the years and suddenly she’s been thrust into this existence.
Not only is the culture alien but the poverty, everything is so far away from what she’s used to and also she’s a very private and a very proud person, so I actually think it’s a great part to get hold of but the danger is that it becomes a caricature so you just have to find that honesty and integrity behind it at the same time.”

How does someone of your stature do that? How do you reign that emotion back in?

E.D: “I think we all draw on our own personal experiences don’t we on how what makes us feel? I know in the past that I’ve suffered with panic attacks and you draw on how that feeling of not being in control and you just put that into it. We’ve all got so many facets to our personalities. I joked on radio before that I have to tone down my own mum’s voice shouting at the kids for this character. We’re not all perfect and it’s just a question of channelling that non-perfect side of yourself and creating it for theatre, that’s all.”

You must have seen quite dramatic changes in Liverpool over last ten or so years?

E.D: “Absolutely! I went to London when I was 16 so we’re going back 26 years ago now so a long time.  I can’t – especially the city centre, I remember thinking I’m lucky going to London because there wasn’t much at the time for actors, L.I.P.A. wasn’t around, there wasn’t anything that would have kept me in Liverpool. If I was 16 now, I could do that here now and the opportunities are there now.  The regeneration of this area is astounding. I don’t know enough about the history of it but I can imagine that it’s changed quite dramatically over her lifetime as well.”

Have you read Helen Forrester’s book before taking on the role?

E.D: “Yes, I’ve read it a few times, it was one of my Nan’s favourite books and I read it and when I got the audition through, I re-read it again. The script is very, very true to the book and Rob was saying in an earlier interview, was that when he wrote the script, he was in constant contact with Helen and she used to give him extra bits of detail which are in the play that aren’t in the book so people are getting in a way a little bit more of her So there’s a bit more meat on the bones to the characters and she gave him clear indications as to who they were and so that’s great and he can pass that onto us so it’s good.”

With that in mind with the book, the previous musical and this stand-alone play, where or how do you see the Liverpool public seeing this in relation to them?

E.D: “I actually think it will open it up to the public again because as there are as many people who like musicals, there are as many people who don’t like musicals and it is a story for everyone so I wouldn’t want people to be put off if they if don’t like musicals so this opens it up again to everybody and I think the fact that it’s a play and it’s meaty. We got the scripts during the last week or so and there’s a lot of humour in it so although it’s quite a depressing story, with that comes a lot of humour.”

With respect to the play, with your wonderful performance here that you did the story of Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland, there was humour riddled throughout although it was such a tragic tale.

E.D: “You find that humour comes from basic poverty. You look at the worst-case scenarios – even when people are dying, the humour in that is quite outstanding.”

Ian D. Hall