Wirral actress Emma Nowell joins the cast of Brick Up: The Wirral Strikes Back

Sep 1 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL’S own Emma Nowell will be helping the borough strike back next month.

The Heswall-born actress will play the role of Anthea in the sequel to homegrown theatrical hit Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels.

The producers of Brick Up: The Wirral Strikes Back held open auditions for the part with only one condition – all auditionees had to be from Wirral.

LIPA graduate Emma’s biggest role to date has been in children’s TV show Hi-5.

She also played Linda in the West End and UK tour productions of Blood Brothers and has appeared in feature films Rise of a Footsoldier and Rollin’ with the Nines.

The full cast includes Eithne Brown, former Brookside actor Dean Sullivan, Shameless star Warren Donnelly and another former Brooksider, Bernie Foley.

Emma said: “I’m thrilled to have been cast in Brick Up. Performing at the Empire is an amazing experience and I can’t wait to be back there.”

The original production, with its tongue-in-cheek focus on the rivalry between Wirral and Liverpool, was a huge hit at the Royal Court Theatre between 2006 and 2009.

It ended with Liverpudlians bricking up the tunnels and blowing up the Runcorn Bridge.

The sequel picks up where Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels finished.

The borough is stranded and isolated – but this Scouse-free Wirral leads to a re-emergence of boat building on the Mersey.

The play focuses on Wirral entrepreneur, William Cammell Laird, who is struggling to raise finance for new projects.

Meanwhile his two children, Anthea and Benjamin, are having their own identity crisis in Heswall.

The play is from the pen of Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels co-writer Nicky Allt, the man behind hit play One Night in Istanbul.

l See Brick Up: The Wirral Strikes Back at the Liverpool Empire from Tuesday, September 7 to Saturday, September 18.

For more information visit www.liverpoolempire.org.uk