From a vision to transform the derelict Odeon into a theatre and cinema five years ago, that vision is now a reality as the Storyhouse opened its doors to the public this week. As you first step through the doors you are reminded how the Odeon used to be then you start to discover what's hidden inside. You soon realise how the building got its name with a cinema, a library threading its way through the building to then come across a huge auditorium, the whole place is full of stories, on screen, book and live theatre.

The show opened with the shows title song Lets Hang On, followed by a brief narrated introduction of the origins of the band complete with Joe Pesci reference, At this point I concluded that it was just another Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute band, providing a 'discount version' of the Jersey Boys. With Stephen James as 'Frankie' opening the show with a call to the audience to sing and clap and dance....

Down Our Street takes you on a journey where for many of tonight's audience the memories came flooding back and there were tears and laughter at this wonderful musical play by Brian McCann. The show opens with a very simple scene of 6 six doorways and a back screen which is the set for the whole play, very simplistic. The screen is used to project images of the shipbuilding company Cammell Laird and takes us through the years of their growth in their Merseyside home of Birkenhead. William Laird started the Birkenhead iron works in 1824 and was later joined by his son John. Following great success with their development of iron and steel ships they joined forces with Sheffield Johnson Cammell and Co in 1903 and Cammell Laird was created.

Hoping our seats were somewhere near the back where two adults without kids might be less conspicuous to see this show which is surely for youngsters?  we were pleasantly surprised to see that we were not out of place at all. (and our seats were in the front stalls!) I believe that for every child there were at least two adults with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends being willing to 'tag' along to the show. And what a show!!!

Abusive alcoholic fathers, adulterous husbands, promiscuity, under age sex, foul mouthed and drunken mothers, these are hard hitting subjects that this play is all about, they hardly seem to be the ideal subject matter for a comedy and Rita Sue & Bob Too is guaranteed to have you in tears...... tears of laughter that is!

And they call them the good old days! Unemployment, hardship, poverty, unscrupulous landlords, overcrowding and bed bugs thrown in, life was far from perfect following the Wall Street Crash in 1929 in the United States. As a consequence, there was a knock on effect throughout Europe with banks and businesses failing and this is where we begin our biography of Helen Forresters, Twopence To Cross The Mersey.