There’s something about taking our clothes off that makes us Brits put our hands in our pockets. Firstly it was the Full Monty and now the Calendar Girls!
Like the Full Monty, Calendar Girls started out life as a box-office smash in 2003, starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, before continuing its success as stage musical play the acclaim of critics and standing ovations in the West End.
Now it is ready to dazzle audiences all over again on a tour of UK theatres.
Calendar Girls tells the true story of a Women’s Institute group from Rylstone in Yorkshire who, when stuck for fundraising ideas to help buy a new sofa for a local hospital, in memory of one of their late husbands, are persuaded to strip off and pose for a calendar.
Inadvertently, their novel idea captures the attention of the world’s media and they become an instant global phenomenon, resulting in them raising over three million pounds for a worthy cause.
To date the group have raised almost £5million for Bloodwise.
While much of the musical is centred on the ladies plucking up the courage to get their kit off for the big reveal, there’s much more to this production than meets the eye!
The biggest asset of this heart-warming show is how it also explores life in the Yorkshire village, the strained personal lives of the ladies and their emotional struggles including personal grief and body consciousness, and how their close friendships help them overcome these issues.
With a great cast topped off with gentle mix of saucy jokes, observational wit and catchy tunes accompanied by some humorous lyrics, Calendar Girls is a delightful feelgood show that you can’t help but fall in love with.
This new musical comedy sees friends for over 25 years, Take That star Gary Barlow and award-winning scriptwriter Tim Firth, who grew up in the same village in the North of England come together to create what promises to be one of the most anticipated stage productions of the year.