Calendar Girls The Musical

With their last 2 shows very focused on the musical and dance elements on the performances I was very intrigued to see how Northallerton would handle a show with a great dramatic core to the story and production.

Well, there was no need for any worry as the cast rose to the challenge (and them some) as they wowed the packed audience with a simply stunning production of Calendar Girls the Musical.

A very simple yet highly effective set drew us into the heart of The Dales with a very catchy number “Yorkshire” led by Richard Henry in the role of John Baker. The stage was set, the song gave us a great feel of this village and the wonderful characters we get to know and love throughout the production.

Every single actor was perfectly cast in this show and it was very evident that a lot of work had gone into understanding their character and the relationships they must have with the other members.

The show focusses around the ladies of Rydale WI and after the tragic passing of one of their members husbands to cancer, a courageous idea to fundraise by launching a Naked Calendar. So many obstacles had to be overcome, not only from the reluctance of their Chairlady wonderfully played with a stiff upper lip by Lucy Steven, but the members would need to challenge their own fears and tackle major obstacles in their own personal lives to rise to the challenge.

Andrea Atkinson absolutely shone as Annie in this production, it was a delight to see her back on stage and she captured every emotion possible in the role. Her relationship with Richard as John was completely believable and the 2 of them had such chemistry that his passing and her breakdowns had the audience in tears. We got to see a fun side to her character too especially through her friendship with Chris played excellently by Lucille Skinner. The 2 bounced off each other so well and it was great to see Lucille let her hair down and go for it in this role as the feisty friend determined to pull the crazy idea off.

Richard Henry was absolutely fabulous as John, switching his character brilliantly from the affectionate and loving husband to the joker in the pack enjoying getting the WI girls drunk to his wheelchair participation in a tug of war race! You handled a very complex character and story with great care Richard, it was lovely to watch

It is hard to single members out as this show worked because the Sisterhood between the ladies was so tight it just worked and made the story believable:

Celia played by Tracie Birdsall was a joy to watch and hysterical, especially in her song “I’ve had a little work done” – you truly captured the spirit of this lady living life to the full.

Cora played by Lisa Walton gave us a lovely insight to her life as a single mum to Tommo, played with real conviction and cheek by Elliott Smith, and also flashes of her fun side and her past – “Who Wants A Silent Night” had the audience in hysterics.

As the senior member of the group Susan Wildon played Jessie, a wonderful character, performed with such warmth and humour throughout.

Ruth Asquith played the 6th member of the group, Ruth, and as the quietest member of the group there was always an underlying issue at home for her and as brilliantly as she played this side of the character it was a joy to see her come out of her shell, kick her cheating husband into touch and go wild – do not leave a Vodka bottle anywhere near this lady!! Your intoxicated rendition of My Russian Friend and I was fantastic.    

There were no “Bit” parts in this production, every member of the cast excelled. Jasmine Smith and Laurence Lorriman played the 2 cheeky teenagers, getting to grips with their relationships with not only their parents but also as the story developed each other too! They brought a very different element to the show with great energy and were completely believable playing characters slightly under their true ages. The duet of protect Me Less was a great number also showing off the vocal talents of these 2.

Will Jackson played Lawrence, the hospital Porter and amateur photographer who would eventually photoshoot the calendar. From his nervousness around the ladies to the warmth of his friendship with John in his later days this was a brilliant role for Will and by far the best role I have seen him in to date.

The other husbands were played by Mark Bradley, David Ferry and Martin Brooks and alongside great characterisation and interactions with their wives also opened Act Two with a very funny “Girls”.  A huge well done the extra ladies singing as the Choir alongside the band, well led by Geoff Foxall, and I also loved the tiny cameo role by Joanne Walker as Lady Cravenshire at the cake judging (don’t mention M&S).

Huge praise must go to the Director, Margaret Lawrence for how she got her cast to bring her vision to life. The themes in the story were handled with great care and sensitivity yet she wasn’t afraid to let rip with the comedy as well giving the audience Craughter (to experience crying and laughter at the same time) moments throughout the whole production.

As the show drew to a close and each lady got their moment in front of the camera, the audience gave a huge round of applause to celebrate their bravery and by this point we had such a close bond with the character that we were also acknowledging a victory in their personal lives.

The finale numbers were a great ending to a lovely evening and as the stage became amassed in a yellow glow with “Sunflower of Yorkshire” the whole audience rightly rose to our feet to rightly show our appreciation for an exceptional performance.

One of the mottos of the WI is “To Inspire” and so a huge well done NMTC. I am pretty sure you will have encouraged all of us to come and see your next show or even inspired us to tread the boards ourselves.  

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