Under the Mersey Moon on ITV's 70 Up Ahead of Epstein Theatre Debut

Under the Mersey Moon, the homegrown Liverpool country musical by songwriters Jimmy Rae and Peter Davies, has taken a national television bow after scenes from the show appeared in ITV's landmark documentary 70 Up. The exposure arrives just weeks before the production's city-centre debut at the Epstein Theatre on Hanover Street, where it plays from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 November 2026.

Davies, from Aigburth, is one of the original children filmed for the 7 Up series that began in 1964, when fourteen youngsters from widely different backgrounds were chosen for what was meant to be a one-off film. The project became a seven-decade chronicle, checking in every seven years. Davies left after 28 Up in 1984 and returned in 2012. In the concluding 70 Up episode, millions of viewers saw rehearsal and premiere footage from New Brighton, including an extract of Davies's song The Ghost of a Cowboy, one of the show's original numbers.

A camera crew followed Davies, co-writer Jimmy Rae and their cast in the rehearsal room and captured moments from the musical's hugely successful premiere in the Floral Pavilion's Blue Lounge. For a show built on Merseyside stages by Merseyside writers, the ITV slot is rare national spotlight, arriving at exactly the moment the company prepares to cross the water into Liverpool city centre.

From Floral Pavilion hit to Epstein Theatre debut

The musical first opened in the Floral Pavilion's Blue Lounge in 2025 and later returned to the New Brighton main stage, drawing packed houses, standing ovations and strong local notices. Critics praised a production packed with emotion, humour and original songs. One review called it "a fantastic production that truly had everything" from drama to twists, while another described it as "a true testament to the magic that happens when local talent and authentic storytelling come together". Music broadcaster and writer Spencer Leigh suggested it has the potential to become another Merseyside favourite in the tradition of Twopence to Cross the Mersey.

That New Brighton chapter proved the piece could fill a larger house. Now the company brings the country-rooted Liverpool story into the city itself. Performances at the Epstein Theatre run at 7.30pm on each of the three days, with a 2pm matinee on Thursday. Tickets are priced at £27 and are on sale through the venue at 85 Hanover Street.

Peter Davies, Jimmy Rae and the 70 Up spotlight

"ITV were only too keen to film parts of the show, as it represents an important part of my life in the last few years," Davies says. "Jimmy and I are very proud of it, and hopefully the TV exposure will attract a wider audience to the Epstein, and maybe beyond."

Rae, from Wirral, has written and performed since his teens. In his twenties he was signed to RCA Records and EMI Music Publishing as one half of The Reverb Brothers, the 1950s-influenced pop duo championed by the late Janice Long. They supported OMD across the UK and Europe and recorded three singles and four Radio One sessions before going their separate ways in 1987. Rae kept writing while holding down other work, and in 2009, while decorating one of his children's bedrooms, the words and melody for Under the Mersey Moon arrived. The song became a mainstay of his live sets and local radio playlists, and he still performs it with duo Tennessee Waltz alongside his partner and cast member Sarah-Lou Fletcher.

Davies was born in Liverpool to a Welsh father and English mother. After studying history at the University of London he taught for several years before moving into law, all while writing songs. He formed the award-winning alt-country band the Good Intentions and has also published the novel Valediction Records. Together the pair have built a score designed for a live five-piece band and a twelve-strong company, marrying Nashville country colours with an unmistakably Merseyside sense of home.

Story, returning cast and new faces

The plot follows Danny Rogers, a struggling country songwriter from Liverpool who, inspired by his ailing grandfather, sets out on a make-or-break pilgrimage to Nashville. Will he find the break he is chasing, or a different kind of discovery closer to love, family and home? That mix of ambition and belonging sits at the heart of a show that asks audiences to laugh, cry and leave singing.

Radio legend Billy Butler and actress Lesley Butler reprise Grandad Harry and Carol, with Samuel Heller returning as Danny. Joining them again are Christopher Lee-Power, Adam Johnson, Catherine Howard, Sarah-Lou Fletcher, Jodie White, Jimmy Rae, Del Willden and Al Peters. New to the company are Roxanne Male as Louise and Lee Clotworthy as Mike. The production is directed by Brian McCann.

Butler's own reaction to the Floral Pavilion premiere underlined how unusual the first-night response felt for a brand-new piece without a big imported star name. In his words, the standing ovation "went on and on" for songs never heard before and a cast of great actors telling a great story. That local pride travels with the company into Hanover Street.

The returning company keeps continuity for audiences who caught the New Brighton runs, while Male and Clotworthy refresh the Louise and Mike storylines for the Epstein engagement. Live band and cast share the stage, so the country score stays immediate rather than canned, a choice that suited both the intimate Blue Lounge premiere and the later main-house returns.

How to see Under the Mersey Moon in Liverpool

Under the Mersey Moon plays the Epstein Theatre, 85 Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 3DZ, from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 November 2026. Evening performances are at 7.30pm, with a Thursday matinee at 2pm. Tickets cost £27.

Book via the Epstein Theatre box office and website at epsteintheatre.com, or visit the ground-floor box office daily from 10am to 6pm (also open one hour before performances). Schools and group bookings can email boxoffice@epsteintheatre.com. Production news, cast updates and further background sit on the official site at merseymoon.com, with the show also on Facebook as UnderTheMerseyMoon and on Instagram as @underthemerseymoon.

After a national TV moment in 70 Up and two sold-out chapters at the Floral Pavilion, November's Epstein run is the chance for Liverpool city audiences to catch this country musical on home turf, live band, original songs and all.