Calendar Girls

Calendar Girls, inspired by a true story, follows the actions of Annie, and her best friend Chris, following Annie’s husband passing away from leukaemia. Together, they decide to raise funds for the local hospital. Despite raised eyebrows from the local community, they create a calendar featuring themselves and their friends from the Women’s Institute in tastefully nude poses. As they embark on their fundraising journey over the seasons, the friends discover a newfound sense of confidence and sisterhood, breaking free from societal expectations of middle age and capturing hearts around the world.

Directed by Dean Baylis, Thrapston Amateur Dramatic Society’s performance of Calendar Girls took the audience on a beautifully chaotic emotional rollercoaster - from moments of utter elation and awe to moments of quiet devastation. From the moment the curtains opened on the Tai Chi workshop, delivered by Chris (Hazel Wright), each character came to life, full of personality which continued to thrive throughout the play. The fragile friendship between Chris and Annie (Lesley Emery) was excellently portrayed with such authenticity, the audience found themselves silently willing for a reconciliation. Lauren Desantos’ portrayal of Marie, the Women’s Institute leader was confident, desperately trying to maintain decorum amidst the increasingly rebellious WI members. Stephen Power brought sincerity to the character of John, Annie’s husband, with his health slowing declining but his relationship and love for Annie never waver. Thomas Houghton as Lawrence, the mortified photographer, brought humour to the scene, cringing at the thought of having to photograph middle aged nude ladies, especially when he finds out one is his old school teacher! Jim Ager (Rod), Dinah Stevenson (Lady Cravenshire), Martin Picken (Brendon Hulse and Liam) and Jessica Bass (Elaine) each brought their characters to life well, adding to the ensemble’s dynamic.

A special brava to Clare Rayner (Cora), Gill Wilson (Jessie), Sarah Smart (Celia), Lisa Punter (Ruth), Hazel and Lesley who bared all – with grace, humour and impeccable timing - to replicate the iconic nude calendar shoot. This scene was choreographed with precision, using cleverly placed props to preserve the cast’s dignity whilst re-enacting the most famous moment of the play, resulting in a perfect blend of laughter and admiration from the audience.

The cast’s strong defined personalities were supported by their well-suited costumes, each reflecting the distinct personalities of the eclectic WI group.

The staging was simple yet highly effective, capturing the essence of a village hall, complete with a piano for their rendition of Jerusalem. Ryan Wright’s meticulous set design always shines through. The subtle changes of the noticeboard to reflect the changing seasons and the growing sunflowers on top of the hill in dedication to John were small, yet effective changes to enrich the storytelling. The props for the photo shoot were carefully manoeuvred and handled with confidence and precision to cover just the right places whilst also following the theme of the original calendar.

Having seen several productions by Thrapston Amateur Dramatic Society, I can confidently say that each show raises their standard. The cast, crew and front of house are fully engaged in each production, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It was a lovely touch for the front of house team to embrace the sunflower theme of the play with their waistcoats. I very much enjoyed this performance and know that TADS have a brilliant set of plays lined up for the future.

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