Calendar Girls the Musical

This was a perfect choice of show for the company to perform as the first after lockdown, reflecting how a community/society can pull together to achieve something positive from a seemingly devastating situation. From the opening number the ensemble, under Judith Stephen’s expert direction, had the full house audience fully enthralled in the characters - through both the laughter and tears. The six main characters worked extremely well together portraying the deep friendships that develop in a small community. This was particularly true of the two main characters – lifelong friends Chris (Leigh Benzie) and Annie (Leanne Craggs). Leigh brought out Chris’s ebullient character to perfection as evidence in her rendition of “Dare” at the end of Act 1. Leanne’s portrayal of Annie working through the illness, and then death from cancer, of her husband John was excellent and her quiet rendition of “Kilimanjaro” struck a chord with many in the audience. Alex Flett as single mum Cora brought much of the humour to the piece especially in her lead in the upbeat “Who Wants A Silent Night”. So too did Jackie Arbuthnott as former Air Hostess Celia when she finally admitted not all was as nature intended in the number “So I’ve Had A Little Work Done”. Wendy Ross’s character of retired teacher Jessie brought a note of decorum to proceedings but with a twinkle in her eye and her rendition of “What Age Expects” elicited murmurs of agreement from many. Sarah Constable as Ruth enduring a loveless marriage was another strong character and her rendition of “My Russian Friend and I”, full of both pathos and humour in equal measure, was a delight. Strong support was given by Hilary Esson (Marie, the overbearing WI President), Jennifer Brown (Miss Tea), Emma Land (Miss Coffee), Janet Renfrew (Brenda) and Gill Johnston (Lady Cravenshire). The gentlemen too gave a good account of themselves in their supporting roles – James Stephen (Rod, Chris’s husband), Angus Mackintosh (Colin, Jessie’s husband), Matt Garratt (Denis, Celia’s Husband), Ian Towns (photographer Lawrence) and especially Steven Close as John (Annie’s husband) in his portrayal of his battle with cancer. Mention too must be made of the three youngsters – Max Paterson (Danny, Chris’s Son), Orla Woods (Jenny, Marie’s Daughter) and Archie MacLean (Tommo, Cora’s Son). Jenny and Danny’s duet “Protect Me Less”, a teenage rant against their parent’s controlling ways, was a highlight. Chorus singing and movement was of the extremely high standard we have come to expect from this company. The seven piece band under Musical Director Craig McDermott handled the various styles of music with consummate ease and gave excellent support to the singers. The set was relatively simple with the many changes between the outdoor and indoor settings being handled with ease by the company ensuring a seamless flow of action. Congratulations to everyone involved in the production it fully deserved the extended applause and standing ovation received from the first night audience.

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