By John Maguire
In the latest instalment of Buried Treasure by John Maguire of ArtsGroupie CIC, the deep and surprising parallels between Liverpool and New York take centre stage. These long-standing transatlantic ties provide the backdrop for Rotten Apple, a new play that explores a Liverpool woman’s pursuit of possibility across the Atlantic.
It is often said that Liverpool and New York City resemble one another, not just in their architecture but in their spirit: the shared resilience, tenacity, and the sharp, acidic wit of the residents. Both cities were crucial transatlantic ports, serving for centuries as central hubs for trade, cargo, and passenger liners.
Their shared history runs deep:
- The first U.S. consulate was established in Liverpool in 1790, highlighting its early importance in Anglo-American relations.
- Robert Morris, a key signatory of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, known as the “financier of the American Revolution,” was born in Liverpool in 1734.
- The SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, completed its historic journey from Georgia by arriving in Liverpool in 1819.
As major ports, both cities were key destinations and transit points for waves of immigrants from across Europe, contributing to a diverse and multicultural heritage. This strong connection led to Liverpool being nicknamed the “New York of Europe” during its 19th-century peak.
The connections extend to culture and urban design:
- Both cities have a rich and influential musical history. Liverpool is famous as the birthplace of The Beatles, while New York became home to John Lennon later in his life, featuring the dedicated “Strawberry Fields” memorial in Central Park.
- Central Park in New York City was explicitly modelled on Birkenhead Park (located across the Mersey from Liverpool) after the American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted was inspired by its design during a 1850 visit. He was amazed by this “People’s Garden” where “the poorest British peasant is as free to enjoy it in all its parts as the British Queen.”
- In a physical link, the sandstone used for the cladding of the iconic Empire State Building was quarried in the Wirral.
Architecturally, Liverpool’s similarities to U.S. cities—including the use of reinforced steel and concrete in the iconic Liver Buildings—mean it is often used as a filming location to double for New York City. Production crews frequently add yellow taxis and CGI skyscrapers to complete the illusion.
Examples include:
- Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, which used Liverpool’s Water Street and the Cunard and Liver Buildings to create 1940s New York street scenes.
- The remake of the movie Alfie (2004), starring Jude Law, which features scenes filmed at a flower shop on Brunswick Street and Formby beach (doubling as an out-of-Manhattan location).
American authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne (who served as U.S. Consul in Liverpool) and Herman Melville had connections to the city. Melville’s novel Redburn, which features a voyage from New York to Liverpool, was discussed in a previous article.
A Modern Exploration: “Rotten Apple”
These transatlantic ties continue to inspire contemporary art. In December, a new piece of writing, Rotten Apple by Liverpool Playwright, premieres at Unity Theatre. It explores this dynamic further. Set in New York City in the 1990s—amidst rooftop parties, yellow taxis, and jazz bars humming till dawn—it follows a young Liverpool woman hungry for more than her beginnings could offer. The city’s glittering promise feels like everything she has ever wanted, but when dreams sour and illusions crack, the play explores what remains of love, ambition, and identity.
This is the opening chapter in Helena Rand’s Watching Windows/Windows of a Woman trilogy, a modern exploration of love, mental health, longing, and the search for self. A Liverpool girl. A New York dream—and the moment glitter turns to rot.
Helena Rand, Rotten Apple’s playwright, said: “As a Liverpool woman, I grew up with a restless heart – always believing that life had to be bigger, brighter, somewhere else. In the 90s, that dream felt oceans away. Rotten Apple is the story of chasing that dream across the Atlantic to New York, a city that dazzles you with possibility and then dares you to hold onto it. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt the pull of somewhere else, who’s ever asked, ‘What if?’ and still might.”
After working and studying in New York City, Helena Rand returned to Liverpool to complete her training at LIPA and John Moores University, later embarking on a 20-year teaching career. Alongside motherhood, she acted, directed, and founded a theatre company for adults with learning difficulties that continues to perform worldwide.
Her career has spanned teaching, directing, acting, and lecturing in community theatre at the City of Liverpool Community College and LIPA, where she inspired students to use performance as a tool for social change. More recently, she has focused on acting, teaching, and leading a charity dedicated to creative writing and communication, exploring how storytelling empowers and connects communities.
This lifelong exploration of theatre and identity has now led to her debut trilogy, Watching Windows/Windows of a Woman. Rotten Apple is its first chapter: personal, poetic, and profoundly resonant.
Rotten Apple
Unity Theatre
3-4 December
Tickets