Calendar Girls The Musical Alhambra Theatre Bradford Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Sarah Lou
The Alhambra is a short walk from the city centre which was where we decided to park. It’s a lovely venue however I feel it would benefit some modernisation. Helpful and friendly staff ushered us to our seats and we were all ready to watch the latest rendition of the now famous calendar girls. A lovely Yorkshire venue for a lovely Yorkshire adventure of the emotions.
Calendar Girls the musical is the latest rendition of the true story that made its way to the silver screen and the stage. This is the version by Tim Firth alongside Gary Barlow of Take That fame. Apparently musically it differs from other versions but I’m told old favourites are still present and to be fair I spotted some fans singing along…
If you’re not sure about going to see the Calendar Girls at the Alhambra this week I’d highly recommend this show evening and matinee performances available with tickets at various prices.
I may be 42 but I wasn’t totally familiar with the full story. As far as I knew myself I just knew it consisted of some ladies over 40s and a nuddy calendar. Having never seen the film or and other productions this was all watched with fresh eyes. While reading the programme during the interval I became aware of the substantial amount of money that has been raised because of these ladies back in 1999 and reading the casts back grounds. We worked out a few role switches in that evenings cast and because familiar with other roles they had done. Myself and my mum and the ladies we sat beside had a chat we chatted about the actresses previous work, the show so far and venue.
The musical captures the essence of the original story and pulls you in with a great cast bringing to life their characters with their quirky ways and relatable problems and views on life. Some ladies more endearing than others. Throughout the show they sang some heartfelt songs performed beautifully with clear lyrics. Added to the mix some excellent one-liners along the way to make the audience laugh out loud so despite the sad subject matter it was still highly entertaining .
I encourage You to take a journey with the cast on a somewhat emotional rollercoaster. Watch as you relate to these ladies on a personal level as well as unintentionally comparing them to somebody you know personally with similar traits. As the scenes change and the show progresses it causes you to feel like the ladies portrayed are your own friends.
Putting aside a first class cast and nice clever little set you can’t forget the accompanying musicians and backgrounds singers adding to the atmosphere.
Go along and enjoy a great show. A little slow to start but it picks up pace and ends with the subtle and encouraging poses as the ladies brave all to create their calendar..
The cast seemed to enjoy the show as much as the audience who gave them a well deserved standing ovation.
Rating: 4/5
https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/calendar-girls
Ticket Prices range from £47.75 to £22.25