Calendar Girls

Theres always a concern as to how successfully a well-known film (and a play) will transfer into being a musical, but I need not have worried. For me, the Calendar Girls – The Musical far surpasses the film of 2003 and the play of 2009.

This is such a well-known story – the ladies of a Yorkshire Women’s Institute, bound together by friendship and common values, are prompted to raise money to buy a settee for a local hospital, where a much loved husband has recently died from cancer. They hit upon the idea of a nude calendar and rest as they say is history.

There are laughs aplenty throughout the show and the cast must be congratulated on their ability to switch emotions from the desperate sadness at the death of John Clark to the humorous banter between the ladies of the WI as life goes on and, to carry their audience with them. Their collective comedic timing is second to none.

The scene is set in the show’s opening number Yorkshire The lyrics introduce each of the key characters whilst clearly establishing the pace and daily routine of life in the Yorkshire Dales.

It was Chris, an ever cheerful character, (Amy Robbins of Coronation Street fame) who first suggested the idea of a nude calendar and whilst she was quite eager to undress for the cause, the other ladies each took some persuading. Each has her own personal issues to overcome, be it grief, age, unsupportive husbands, lack of confidence, or alcohol, but there is an unspoken suggestion that by ultimately posing for the calendar they have each conquered their individual personal demons and in the process each has become a more confident and independent woman.

Tanya Franks (Rainie from Eastenders) takes the part of Annie, the bereaved widow, and offers a moving portrayal of grief and loss, especially so in her number Kilimanjaro in Act 2 in which she tells of her difficulties in managing alone life’s daily tasks and routines.

Maureen Nolan takes the part of Ruth who relies on her Russian friends (Vodka) to help her through her days. Lyn Paul (New Seekers) takes the part of Jessie, Honeysuckle Weeks plays Cora and last but by no means least Marti Webb takes the part of Celia, an ex-air hostess.

The set design by Gary McCann is based on a typical village hall with a kitchen area with a tea urn to one side, fold away chairs and of course an old piano. You can really imagine the WI meetings or a local Brownie or Guide pack meeting in such a hall. The show has minimal scene changes and those that there are, are both simple and effective.

A big shout out to Malcolm Edmonstone, Dan Keen and Jordan Alexander for their musical arrangements and of course their small but powerful band. They were excellent.

The result of the collaboration between Gary Barlow and Tim Firth is a wonderful evening’s entertainment, they have clearly worked closely together on this project.

Sadly, there were quite a few empty seats in tonight’s performance but for those that were there, they thoroughly enjoyed the show if the standing ovation at the final curtain call was anything to go by!