A touching and uplifting production with a powerful message of empowerment that’s sure to “…get everyone’s ding dongs merrily on high”.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Calendar Girls The Musical, has been brought to life by a collaboration between Gary Barlow (Take That) and Tim Firth (screen-writer) and is currently showing at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham, until Saturday 7th October 2023 with tickets priced from just £13.
Set in Yorkshire, the show opens with a scene inside the local methodist Church, the meeting place for the ladies Women’s Institute (WI). There’s an announcement about a calendar being made to mark 100 years of the WI. January could be jam making, February crafts, cake competitons and flower making… but as the show goes on, the ideas get a bit more fruity.
The scenery is great and merges from a methodist Church to a hospital waiting room so easily throughout the first half as we see John (Colin R Campbell), the husband of WI member Annie (Tanya Franks) battle cancer.
With a skilled cast (Lyn Paul who played Mrs Johnstone in the West End Blood Brothers and Maureen Nolan from the World Famous Nolan Sisters to name a few) plus catchy tunes (My Russian Friend and I, may have been my favourite), this production is a splendid tribute to the original story and makes for a ‘peachy’ version on the stage.
It was lovely to see so many people giving the show a standing ovation at the end. I wonder if many of the audience could relate to the portrayal of the characters and see themselves within the camaraderie of friendship. This was a show displaying strength, resilience, and life-long support for each other. Even if you can not relate to it, there’s a feeling deep inside where you wish you had those opportunities, too. Where do I sign up for my local WI?
An entertaining theatre experience with an important message to take home, “Wherever light is, find it and face towards it.”
Book your tickets here.