Calendar Girls (the play)

After an absence of two years Islesburgh Drama Group took to the stage of the Garrison Theatre again in the play ‘Calendar Girls’. From entering the theatre for the fully sold out four day production run you could tell this was going to be something special. Every audience member was left a gift of a Sunflower with a ‘message of hope’ – a nice touch.

The open set was well designed as an archetypal Yorkshire scene of dry stone walling with stile which was to figure throughout the play. A stage wide backdrop photo of Kettlewell Hill (only a few miles from the original setting of the Rhylstone WI) really gave a flavour of the rural Yorkshire… The primary characters of ‘Calendar Girls’ Annie, Chris, Cora, Ruth, Celia and Jessie were played by Jennie Atkinson, Morag Mouat, Jacky Williamson, Donna-Marie Leask, Mandy Phillips, and Morag Maver respectively – each role with their own individual characteristics and personalities and each taking the audience into their hearts as their own individual stories unfolded.
Friction between the sceptical WI chairman, Marie (Lesley Leslie) and the more adventurous member ‘Girls’ was palpable and led to both humorous and explosive conclusions. Annie’s husband John (Andy Long) who inspired the calendar was played with increasingly poignant demeanours as his illness progressed whilst Stanley Manson gave a sterling performance as the increasingly worried and neglected husband of Chris. Lawrence, the photographer, (Martin Summers) gave a wonderfully embarrassed performance with many laugh out loud moment of double takes and expressions by him.

Supporting the production in various roles of Liam, Elaine, Brenda Halsey and Lady Cravenshire were David Smith/Kevin Briggs, Nicola Fleck, Joyce Williamson and Torana Bland. Passage of time and locations was fulfilled by well crafted lighting, strategic props and musical interludes and the play never faltered throughout in pace.

There were several moments throughout the play that grabbed you by the 'feels' but the projection of the original letters from families of cancer victims to the 'girls' somehow brought it home to all the real reason for this venture...

Ultimately this play is about friendship and compassion and walking the difficult path towards the right destination. In this venture the group under the imaginative directorship of Stephenie Pagulayan succeeded in their objectives and the audience (and myself) loved every second of it.

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