Calendar Girls (musical)

Calendar Girls (previously titled The Girls) is a musical with music and lyrics by Gary Barlow and a book by Tim Firth. The show is based on the 2003 film Calendar Girls, which is in turn based on a true story. The musical received its world premiere at the Grand Theatre, Leeds in 2015, before transferring to The Lowry, Salford in January 2016. It went on to open in London's West End at the Phoenix Theatre in February 2017, with a UK Tour starting in October 2018.

Calendar Girls
Original West End promotional art
MusicGary Barlow
LyricsGary Barlow
BookTim Firth
Basis2003 film Calendar Girls
PremiereNovember 2015: Grand Theatre, Leeds
Productions2015 Leeds
2016 Salford
2017 West End
2018 UK Tour
Awards2017 Best Regional Production Whatsonstage.com Awards

Synopsis

Annie's husband John dies from leukaemia at an early age. Her close friend Chris, wants to purchase a comfortable sofa for the visitors' lounge in the hospital where John was treated. She hits upon the idea of printing a calendar featuring some of the members of the Knapely branch of the Women's Institute, discreetly posing nude while engaged in traditional WI activities, such as baking and knitting, in order to raise funds. Her proposal is initially met with great scepticism, but she eventually convinces ten women to participate in the project with her. They enlist one of the hospital workers, an amateur photographer named Lawrence, to help them with the calendar.

Background

The musical is based on the 2003 film Calendar Girls. The film itself was produced on a budget of $10 million, earning over $96 million in global box office receipts.[1] A stage play adaption was launched in 2008 at the Chichester Festival Theatre,[2] before embarking on a national tour and transferring to the West End's Noël Coward Theatre in 2009.[3]

Production history

Leeds and Salford (2015-16)

The musical originally premiered as The Girls at the Grand Theatre, Leeds on 14 November 2015, running to 12 December.[4] The production then transferred to The Lowry, Salford from 13 to 30 January 2016. It was jointly directed by Roger Haines and Tim Firth.[5]

West End (2017)

The production transferred to the West End at the Phoenix Theatre with an official opening night on 21 February 2017, with previews from 28 January 2017.[6]

It was directed by Tim Firth, with sets and costume design by Rob Jones, lighting by Tim Lutkin, musical staging by Lizzi Gee, comedy staging by Jos Houben, sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster for Autograph Design, and projection design by Alex Uragllo, [7][8]

The production closed in the West End on 15 July 2017, as it was announced that it would commence a UK tour in 2018.[9]

UK Tour (2018 - )

In 2017, the show’s title was changed to Calendar Girls The Musical .[10]

In October 2017, the first two venues of the UK Tour were announced as Leeds Grand Theatre and Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. A full list of dates was announced on 19 January 2018.[11]

In January 2018, the touring cast was announced and included Fern Britton, Denise Welch, Ruth Madoc and Sara Crowe.[12]

Musical numbers

The London Cast Recording was released on 9 March 2018.[13]

Cast and characters
Character Leeds & Salford cast[14] West End cast[15][16] UK Tour cast[17]
Annie Joanna Riding Anna-Jane Casey
Chris Claire Moore Rebecca Storm
Cora Claire Machin Karen Dunbar
Celia Vivien Parry Sophie-Louise Dann Denise Welch
Jessie Sarah Kestelman Michele Dotrice Ruth Madoc
Ruth Debbie Chazen Sara Crowe
Marie Harriet Thorpe Marian McLoughlin Fern Britton
John James Gaddas
Rod Joe Caffrey
Dennis Jeremy Clyde
Doctor John Davitt
Brenda Susan Fay Soo Drouet
Mrs Wilson (coffee) Karen West Jenny Gayner
Mrs Wilson (tea) Shirley Jameson
Lawrence Steve Giles
Colin Stephen Boswell Maxwell Hutcheon
Lady Cravenshire Judith Street
Tommo Josh Benson
Danny Ben Hunter
Jenny Chloe May Jackson
Ensemble David Breeds Frazer Hadfield
Ensemble Sarah Day Jane Lambert
Ensemble Rebecca Louis


Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result
2017 Whatsonstage.com Awards [18] Best Regional Production Won
Laurence Olivier Award [19] Best New Musical Nominated
Best Actress in a Musical "The Girls" - Debbie Chazen, Sophie-Louise Dann, Michele Dotrice, Claire Machin, Claire Moore and Joanna Riding Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical Ben Hunter Nominated
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References
  1. "Calendar Girls". boxofficemojo.com. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  2. "Calendar Girls Overview". cft.org.uk. Calendar Girls. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  3. "Calendar Girls Sets London Dates at Noel Coward". whatsonstage.com. Whats On Stage. 17 October 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  4. Hemley, Matthew. " 'The Girls' Musical review at the Grand Theatre, Leeds – ‘brilliant’" The Stage, 3 December 2015
  5. Cavendish, Dominic. " 'The Girls', Lowry Theatre, Salford, review: 'already has the bare essentials of a classic' The Telegraph, 17 January 2016
  6. Shenton, Mark. " 'The Girls', Musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, to Premiere in West End" Playbill, 16 September 2016
  7. "Creative Team" thegirlsmusical.com
  8. Shenton, Mark. " 'The Girls', Musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, to Premiere in West End" Playbill, 16 September 2016
  9. "The Girls announces West End closure and UK tour". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  10. "Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's 'Calendar Girls the Musical' " Leeds Grand Theatre, retrieved 14 October 2017
  11. "The Girls". The Girls. Archived from the original on 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  12. Bourne, Dianne (2018-01-19). "Denise Welch strips off to star in Gary Barlow's Calendar Girls musical". men. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  13. "Tim Firth: The Girls, a new musical by Tim Firth and Gary Barlow". www.timfirth.com. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  14. "Full casting is announced for The Girls - Entertainment Focus". www.entertainment-focus.com. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  15. "The Girls". Phoenix Theatre programme. 18 Feb 2017.
  16. "Official Website". 21 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-02-27. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  17. "Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's Calendar Girls musical gets new cast". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  18. "Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's 'The Girls' Triumphs at WhatsOnStage Awards" broadwayworld.com, 19 February 2017
  19. Shenton, Mark. " 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Receives Record Olivier Nominations" Playbill, 6 March 2017
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