Calendar Girls The Musical

So, this hugely popular story, based on a true story of creating a nude calendar to raise funds for a sofa, which has already been both a film and a play dating back to 2003 and 2008 respectively, Concord Theatricals have now released the rights to the Musical version, (which premiered in 2015), for amateur production until 2026. I have no doubt many societies will be seizing the opportunity to perform it. We had the great privilege of seeing it for the first time at The Over Players directed by Christine Turner.

For those unfamiliar with the plot it tells the uplifting true story of a group of Yorkshire ladies from the Women’s Institute who set out to raise money by making a nude calendar of themselves to replace a very uncomfortable sofa in the local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands who had died of cancer. They are, of course, so successful they end up raising enough money to build a whole new hospital wing! Not forgetting, spawning a film, a play and this musical!

The set, designed by Alan Kenney and under the management of Grace Marshall had to accommodate quite a few scenes, 12 in Act 1 and 8 in Act II, from the Yorkshire Dales, to the hospital, the school, the village hall, the village green, a flower shop, a garden and a Conference Hall. This was cleverly achieved by a large backcloth of the dales with a cutaway flat depicting an additional hill which gave the scene depth and finishing with a typical drystone wall at the front. For the village hall other flats were quickly unfolded across in front of the Dales scene. The flower shop scene was a very well-made cart; wheeled on with a stunning array of blooms and of course Sunflowers! This being opening night it was very impressive how slick the crew became at changes as the show progressed.

Lighting by Andy Burrell was an integral part of the scene setting, very effectively darkening areas not in use when requiring small scenes such as the Flower shop or the Hospital and highlighting others with deft spotlighting. Sound, apart from the dreaded gremlins on one or two face mics, was well pitched for the venue and worked very well

The first thing to say about it is that much to my surprise it’s the first musical I’ve reviewed that has no choreography, as it turns out this musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth is more a play told part in musical form.

The very competent band were situated on the audience floor level, stage right and were led by Lin Hetherington on Bass with Andrew Taylor, Keyboards, Jan Wyndham-Hall, Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Cornet, Sarah Minchin, Trombone, Pete Caldwell, Guitar and Phil Butcher on Drums. Excellent job!

The music is very Gary Barlow-esque, quite complicated, very uplifting and very much telling the story rather than full of big hit numbers. I would need to see it again to totally familiarise myself.

All the actors in this brought their A game and lots of positivity to what really is a heart-warming story. Chris played by Maria Baker and Annie played by Mandy Turpin led the way with a perfect array of the emotions this story requires, sadness, humour, determination and guts. With the rest of these ‘middle age’ ladies, Cora - Kirsty Jackson, Jessie - Tessa Kilvington-Shaw, Celia- Sheena Harris, Ruth  - Thea Fennel and Maria – Christine Savage gave you the impression of a very tightknit group. It never ceases to amaze me that joy and confidence is a beautiful thing and these ladies certainly oozed confidence.  I have to say, their anti-wrinkle cream was certainly working well as some of them looked anything but middle age?  That said I feel I do have to mention some of the actors certainly were younger than the original ladies – perhaps this was a casting issue.

For the boys, Chris Greenaway as John was the core to this show’s story, always positive and keeping a brave smiling face to the very end. And the way he eventually passed away by walking down between the hillside flat and the Dales back cloth was particularly poignant and certainly emotional.

No real attempt at Yorkshire accents was noticeable amongst the cast expect for Chas Barclay as Rod, who gave it a brave stab, and not being from that county I made no judgement on his success. There was a wonderful scene where Colin (Richard Fenwick) and Dennis (Roger Hetherington) are sitting stock still on the front of the stage in a comedic pose of incredulity on being told what the WI ladies are planning for the pictures in the calendar  and neither of them even blinked for the whole of the scene. Still smiling at that one.

The Young People, Jenny (Sara Jane Sutty), Danny (Dylan Wadsworth) and Tommo (Bailey Francis) were superb in putting across their feelings both of budding hormonal feelings for each other and their exasperation at the nonsense the grownups were planning. Excellent argument between Danny and Chris where she definitely came off second best.

And well done to the Ladies of The Company; Brenda (Anita Pisani), Lady Cravenshire (Sue White), Miss Wilson (Tea) Jessica Turpin, Miss Wilson (Coffee) Yasmin Sales, Villager Hannah Sagara.

So well done to Director Christine Turner, her cast and crew for a thoroughly entertaining evening and especially for managing to portray the rollercoaster of emotions so well. Obviously, a lot of hard work had gone into this production.

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