Calendar Girls

Having never visited Wem before, let alone Stage Door Theatre, I was very much looking forward to attending Calendar Girls by Tim Firth. The welcome from President Margaret Simmons was second to none, matched only by the friendliness of the Front of House team and other key members of the society. The foyer was adorned with photographs of previous productions and documents charting the society’s impressive 106-year history.

The play has proven to be a box office success across the UK in recent years, and this was certainly the case in Wem. The wonderful auditorium was filled to the rafters for this sell-out performance, and such was the demand that an extra show had been added at the beginning of the run.

The story itself almost goes without saying. Set around a group of middle-aged women from the Knapely Women’s Institute (WI), the plot is driven by the death of John, husband of Annie, who passes away following a diagnosis of leukaemia. Her best friend Chris proposes an ambitious fundraising idea: to produce a nude calendar — something rather more daring than the usual pictures of churches or bridges — to purchase a sofa for the relatives’ room at Skipton General Hospital.

With no front tabs in place, the audience had time to take in and familiarise themselves with the set before the action began. The set was of very high quality, depicting the Knapely WI hall with great attention to detail. It featured the essential kitchen hatch stage right, a piano upstage centre, and doors leading both to the kitchen and out of the hall. The piano was particularly impressive—a ‘home-built’ shell cleverly incorporating a modern keyboard. Some scenes were set externally in the Yorkshire Dales, and these transitions were handled smoothly with three well-painted flats brought swiftly into place downstage of the back wall. There was also effective use of the auditorium itself. In conclusion, a massive well done to everyone involved in the design and construction of the set.

The casting was strong, with each performer demonstrating a clear understanding of their character. Occasionally, some lines overlapped, but this did not detract from either the quality of the performances or the overall enjoyment of the evening.

Ann Johnson as Annie delivered a sensitive performance, balancing the emotional weight of her husband’s loss with the strain of supporting Chris’s determination as their fame spread. Ethna Norris as Chris was equally impressive, playing the role with energy and conviction. Together, the pair created a believable and touching portrayal of long-standing friendship.

The other members of the WI all worked well together and brought their characters vividly to life.

Katie Mansfield-Loynes as Cora, the piano-playing vicar’s daughter, gave a strong and confident performance.

Ann Likeman as Jessie, the former schoolteacher, delivered her lines with good timing — especially her memorable comment about being seen naked (but not by her husband!).

Natalie Connolly brought warmth and humour to Celia, the enthusiastic golf player who embraced the group’s newfound fame.

Jane Webber played Ruth with real heart trying to please the Chairwomen. Jane, particularly shone in the scene where she firmly tells her husband’s lover to leave the hall.

The letter-reading scene was tender, providing a lovely blend of poignancy and humour, especially through Celia’s lighter contributions.

Maria, the chairwoman of the branch, was nicely portrayed by Helen Jones, capturing both her snobbishness and her unwavering loyalty to WI tradition. While Brenda Hulse was played with suitable formality by Mandie Caddick-Smith. How sad we missed out on the talk about broccoli.

John, Annie’s husband, was superbly played by Allen Crowe. His death scene is always challenging to portray correctly, but he delivered it with dignity, subtlety, and genuine emotion. Well done.

Rod was played by Philip Savage, and Lady Cravenshire by Lynn Pulford, both fitting their roles well.  

George Coss played Lawrence, the somewhat embarrassed hospital porter with an interest in photography, with an enjoyable mix of awkwardness and charm.

I was informed the following day the raffle raised £500 to be donated to the Lingen Davies Cancer Treatment Unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.— a remarkable achievement and a testament to the generosity of the audience and the spirit of the society.

Congratulations to director Tess Barclay. This was a thoughtful, emotional, and at times inspirational production, filled equally with poignancy and well-judged humour.

Although this was my first visit to Wem, I most certainly hope to be back again soon. No stopping for this group as they move straight on to Honk! which is due to be staged in April 2026.

Andy Brown

NODA West Midlands Regional Councillor

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.