Calendar Girls

I have to admit I was a little apprehensive when I arrived at Sodbury Hall for Calendar Girls. Not that I had any real doubts about the group’s ability, more whether they could live up to the expectation that surrounds what is almost a real-life fairytale. Even more so after a couple of recent productions which may have fallen just an inch or two short of Players’ incredibly high standards. To use a sporting analogy (as I’m getting repetitive in saying how far Sodbury Players have pushed the theatrical bar) – when Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal are sweeping all before them and lifting trophies left, right and centre, it’s easy to become critical about the odd dropped set, and forget the hard work that comes in the routine wins, and it naturally adds just an ounce of trepidation when you approach the theatrical equivalent of Wimbledon’s Centre Court. But we needn’t have worried as, from the second the curtain rose, it was obvious that Sodbury Players were back to their Grand Slam-winning form. The cast rose to the challenge of this play and its story majestically, like one of John Clarke‘s own sunflowers, giving us a whole production of which the company should be very proud.

Central to the production’s success was Maggie Allsopp’s subtle direction. Neither the comedy nor the tragedy were overplayed, and the pace was extremely well-judged, simply creating for us at all times a sense of community, friendships and relationships which were always believable. Nicky Shipton’s performance as Annie was heartbreakingly beautiful, one of the finest performances I have seen in an amateur production. Her chemistry with her husband John (a wonderful cameo from Andrew Stubbs) was stunning, and added to our shared sense of loss when he passed away. She was given great support from Je-An Shields as Chris, both metaphorically and in their ‘double-act’, a whirlwind of a character, the perfect compliment to Nicky’s calmly determined Annie. They were given a wonderful foil in Lin Bowden’s officiously bitchy Marie, perfectly summing up the small-mindedness of (some!) village societies, and staying just the right side of panto villainy in doing so. 

All the ladies gave strong performances, and of course should be commended for their courage in the notorious ‘Act One Finale’, which was perfectly staged. While this is the scene that inevitably receives the most attention, for me it was the subtler moments – for example, when the ladies were involved in moving the furniture, or just chatting – that showed the genuine affection and community spirit that Maggie and her assistant Kate Salt had helped the group to develop, and the strength of acting within the company. As wonderful as Nicky and Je-An’s performances were, they would have been nothing without the sense of community that all the actresses (and Rob Creer, Tim Ball and Richard Cottle in their fleeting cameos) worked hard to convey – a true ensemble piece.

On a technical side, Sodbury Players have once again surpassed themselves. The appropriately shabby, and very well ‘propped’ Village Hall set reinforced the mundane routine that the girls become determined to shake up, before literally breaking open beautifully to reveal  the hillside. This was complimented by a more colourful and varied lighting plot than Players have used recently (outside of pantomime), and worked excellently to convey the passing of time, and to give us some beautiful moments of tableau on the hillside, and also in the hall, particularly in the extremely moving scene where the girls begin to read the deluge of letters they have received.

An excellent production of a play that it would be so easy to get wrong, or to become hammy and amateurish. Congratulations too for the thousands of pounds that were raised for Macmillan Cancer Research through ticket sales and Sodbury Players’ own calendar. Proof once again of how, even in these difficult times, groups like Sodbury Players and WI’s can pull the whole community together to make a real difference.

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