Letter To Brezhnev

Letter To Brezhnev is running at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool until Saturday 17 October. It's Frank Clarke's stage adaptation of his own film, which is billed as a Liverpool love story.

The story opens in 1985 Kirkby and follows Elaine Spencer, who falls for Peter, a sailor from the Soviet Union. When he leaves, she decides to write a letter to President Leonid Brezhnev in the hope of being reunited with him. The production is directed by Nicole Behan and leans into the 80s nostalgia, with music by Rob Green and songs like 'Come on Eileen' and 'This Charming Man' playing through. It keeps a few of the film's most recognisable touches, too: Elaine's red flannel jacket and the fence from the famous kiss scene both make an appearance.

There's a bit of a story behind the original, as well. The screenplay was written 41 years ago by a group of Liverpool friends and creatives who did it without permission, shot on a budget of about £50,000, and went on to win two BAFTA awards. It's often credited with doing more than perhaps any other film before or since in putting Liverpool on the cinematic map. And there was a bit of real-life romance to it: the film's on-screen lovebirds, Alexandra Pigg and Peter Firth, fell in love and married.

The cast includes Michelle Butterly, Dominic Carter, Ellie Clayton, Thomas Cotran, Reginald Edwards, Zach Levene, Liam Powell-Berry, Maya Rugen, Angela Simms and Leona Sinama-Pongolle. It's a Liverpool love story, and it runs at the Royal Court Theatre until 17 October.