Lifeboat: From The Lowry To Broadway

Following successful tours of the Republic of Ireland, Canada and appearing at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company are bringing their award-winning production of Lifeboat to audiences at The Lowry between Tue 6 – Fri 9 February, before going to Broadway’s 42nd Street.

First produced in 2002, Lifeboat by Nicola McCartney is heading out on a tour of England, including this week long run in The Lowry’s intimate Studio theatre, before heading out to Broadway to perform at the New Victory Theater, New York. Catherine Wheels will be the first Scottish theatre company to appear on Broadway twice.

Based on an extraordinary true story, Lifeboat tells the story of Bess Walder and Beth Cummings. It is a story of courage, a story of survival, a story of enduring friendship.

On Friday 13 September 1940, a ship, The City of Benares, set sail from Liverpool for Canada. On board were 90 evacuees escaping the relentless bombing and dangers of war torn Britain. Four days into the crossing, the ship was torpedoed and sank. Only eleven of the evacuees survived. Two fifteen year old girls, Bess Walder and Beth Cumming, spent 19 terrifying hours in the water on an upturned Lifeboat. They willed each other to survive. Now, over sixty years later, they remain firm friends.

Director and founder of Catherine Wheels, Gill Robertson, first came across the remarkable story of Bess and Beth in a magazine article:

“I immediately thought that this was a fantastic story that had to be told, but I also thought it was near enough impossible to stage. I spoke to Nicola McCartney about the story and it really captured her imagination too, so we set about working out how we could bring it alive for young audiences.”

The process of staging the story involved interviewing Bess Walder and Beth Cummings. Bess Walder went to one of the first performances at the Tron theatre in Glasgow. Robertson remembers:

“It was quite an amazing night when Bess came to the show in Glasgow. It was actually quite emotional – particularly for Suzanne, the actress playing Bess – it was great to have her there.”

Lifeboat won the TMA (Theatrical Management Association) award for the best new play for children and young people in 2002.

Lifeboat
Tuesday 6 – Friday 9 February
The Lowry, Salford Quays, Greater Manchester
Times: Tuesday & Friday 7.15pm, Wednesday & Thursday 11am & 1.30pm
Tickets: £8
Box office information: thelowry.com