Calendar Girls The Musical - Lichfield Operatic Society

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Tue 02 Jul 2024 - Sat 06 Jul 2024

Lichfield Operatic Society's wondrous performance of this heartwarming story is a fitting way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the courageous ladies of the Knapely Women’s Institute in Yorkshire. It is perhaps sometimes hard to believe - after a hit movie starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, a stage play featuring Anita Dobson, and, most recently, a musical involving pop royalty Gary Barlow - that Calendar Girls is based on a true story.

And it is a tribute to Lichfield Operatic Society (LOS), and original playwright Tim Firth who co-wrote the songs for the musical with Barlow, that they have fully captured the pathos of the real-life events that inspired it. Credit clearly goes to the LOS production team, notably director Adam Lacey, musical director David Easto and choreographer Charlotte Jervis, for creating such a thoroughly professional and enjoyable show, which continues to run at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre until Saturday 6 July.



It was back in 1999 that the idea of a nude calendar featuring members of the real Rylstone and District WI first took hold following the death from blood cancer of John Baker, the husband of one of the members. It sold nearly 90,000 copies in its first year, and around 240,000 in America the following year, and made household names of lifelong friends Angela and Tricia, whose idea it was.

The musical version of the story, first performed in 2015, captures the same extraordinary achievements of the real-life women who tore up the traditional WI image of scones and knitting to pose naked for a calendar. Instead of traditional scenes of churches, bridges or village greens, their calendar was filled with middle-aged women discreetly posed behind displays of cakes, jam jars and flowers.



While the members of Rylstone and District WI, who were raising money for a new sofa at the hospital where John was treated, were extremely brave in baring all for their calendar, so too has every actor chosen to follow suit by revealing their own 'birthday suits' live on stage. Here, special credit must go to Heather Bustin, in the role of single mum and vicar's daughter Cora, who does not have the advantage of props to partially hide her modesty.

The musical version of Calendar Girls, which is crammed with fabulous songs throughout, seems to take a lot longer than the film and stage play to introduce the notion of nude fundraising. In fact, it only really surfaces just before the interval. But the time leading up to this moment is admirably spent in getting to know the central characters in the story, in particular loveable John, who leads the cast in the opening number, 'Yorkshire', before his illness surfaces.



The splendid cast is led by Kate Pilling, who has rightly appeared on the West End, in the role of newly widowed Annie and Dawn Welch as her best, and unconventional friend Chris. And both they and the production are indebted to a strong list of other principal players, in particular Natalie Whittlesey as 'enhanced' former air hostess Celia, Rebecca Bowley as Ruth, Lynne Hill as Jessie, and the aforementioned Heather Bustin, who all strip off in the name of art, and James Pugh as Annie's husband John.

There is also a lot of very young talent coming through at LOS, as demonstrated by Ethan Bowley as Chris's son Danny, Jacob Fear as his mate Tommo, and Amy Adams as newly arrived pupil Jenny to their school. And the live orchestra beneath the stage never misses a note.



All proceeds from programme sales at the Lichfield Garrick go to Cancer Research UK, while people can also donate to collection tins, adding to the £200,000 already raised via bucket collections during performances of Calendar Girls The Musical over the years.

Lichfield Operatic Society's production of Calendar Girls The Musical continues at the Lichfield Garrick until 6th July. Any available tickets can be booked via the theatre Box Office on 01543 412121 or online at www.lichfieldgarrick.com

All stage photos credited to Robert Yardley




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