FOLLOWING three sell-out runs in Wirral, and a series of rave reviews, musical play Down Our Street finally arrived at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre over the weekend.

Directed by Brian McCann and starring local legend Mickey Finn, Down Our Street charts the history of the Cammell Laird shipbuilding company based in Birkenhead, from the very beginning in the 1800’s to the present day.

Told through the eyes of the local people, the production follows the highs and lows of the company which is still going strong to this day.

The Active Drama production starts with a speech from founder William Laird about how Birkenhead will change for the better with the setting up of his company.

The town, he claims, will become a utopia with green parks and plenty of jobs for everyone.

What follows is anything but, with redundancies, immigration and privatisation all having an effect on the fortunes of the company and the locals.

What is particularly appealing about this production is that much of what happens is still happening today.

The locals of the late 1880’s muttering that the “foreigners are coming over here and stealing our jobs” is still a phrase heard across the region today.

There are some genuinely touching moments, as well as a lot of humour, with cameo appearances from historical figures including William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Margaret Thatcher and even John Lennon.