Irish Annie's: Ricky Tomlinson treads the boards with Catherine Rice in musical comedy play

A musical comedy celebrating the best of Irish culture is touring the UK and Ireland this spring. Irish Annie's has been created by local singer Asa Murphy who wrote the play in his shed during lockdown.

Asa told LiverpoolWorld: "My family are all Irish, they originate from the south of Ireland, Mitchelstown. So I've always had that connection with Ireland. When I was 19 my parents returned to Ireland so the rest of my family, there's seven of us, were raised in Ireland.

"A lot of the inspiration for the story comes from the local pub my dad drank in Mitchelstown and also some of the pubs and places where I grew up in Kirkdale. The characters that came in and out of these pubs that all had stories. Real life is the best thing to write about."

Set in a pub, the play has a live 5-piece band, with original tracks written for the show by Asa Murphy, along with sing-along Emerald Isle classics.

Ricky Tomlinson will perform as himself as a celebrity guest in the pub. Best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside and Jim Royle in The Royle Family. He is also a very keen musician, playing both the banjo and harmonica.

Asa said: "I wasn’t sure whether he’d do it, because he says himself he is not a theatre, actor. He jokes, and says he’s a bluff merchant, but I knew he'd be good in this and he's brought something brilliant to it, he’s a great character to have on board."

The show also sees the return of Catherine Rice in the titular role.

The Irish Annie's tour will visit 26 venues across England, Scotland, Wales, the show will also premiere in Ireland, visiting five venues across the country. The UK and Ireland tour will come to an end with a special homecoming night at Liverpool Olympia on Saturday 4th, May.