Calendar Girls

We’re going to need considerably bigger buns’

Calendar Girls

Opera House. Monday 19 to Saturday 25 March, 2012

Calendar Girls, the most successful play ever to tour the UK, comes to the Opera House, Manchester next month for one week only as part of its final ever tour with an all-star cast.

A group of ordinary women, members of a very ordinary Yorkshire Women’s Institute, spark a global phenomenon by persuading one another to pose for a charity calendar with a difference! As interest snowballs, the Calendar Girls find themselves revealing more than they’d ever planned.

Based on an inspiring true story, Calendar Girls is quirky, poignant and hilarious and has enjoyed a hit run in London’s West End as well as sell-out UK tours. Starring is Lynda Bellingham, Camilla Dallerup, Jan Harvey, Sue Holderness, Deena Payne, Lisa Riley, June Watson, Ruth Madoc, Kavin Sacre and Joe McGann.

Original star of Calendar Girls, Lynda Bellingham continues to present ITV’s popular afternoon chat show Loose Women. Other credits include the long running series of OXO television ads and Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small. Jan Harvey played Jan Howard in the BBC’s long running Howard’s Way. Other television credits include the BBC action series Bugs as well as Babs Woods in Family Affairs. Sue Holderness is best known as Marlene Boyce in the BBC’s Only Fools and Horses as well as the spin off series The Green Green Grass. On stage, Su’s credits include Alan Ayckbourn’s Relatively Speaking and How the Other Half Loves.

Deena Payne is probably best known as Viv Hope in Emmerdale, a role she’s played for eighteen years making her the longest serving female cast member on the programme. She also appeared as the Wicked Queen in the 2010/11 panto Opera House Snow White. Another Emmerdale  star, Lisa Riley played Mandy Dingle winning the National Television Award for Most Popular Newcomer. June Watson one of the UK’s most versatile actresses and can regularly be seen on our television screens.. Camilla Dallerup, one of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals, plays Elaine. Ruth Madoc, best known as Gladys Pugh in Hi-De-Hi has more recently been seen on our screens as Dafydd’s mother in Little Britain.

Kevin Sacre, who plays Lawrence the photography, joins Calendar Girls from Hollyoaks in which he plays the slightly disturbed Jake Dean. Kevin says he thrilled to be joining Calendar Girls and touring with his wife, Camillla Dallerup!  Joe McGann, whose credits include the TV comedy The Upper Hand, plays John.

Calendar Girls is written by Tim Firth who adapted the screenplay of his hit 2003 Miramax film for the stage, directed by Roger Haines with Jack Ryder as associate director. Set design is by Robert Jones, lighting by Tim Lutkin, costumes by Jack Galloway and music by Steve Parry. It is produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers.

Listing information:
Dates                                    Monday 19 – Saturday 24 March
Address                               Opera House, Quay St, Manchester
Performance schedule     Mon  –  Sat eves 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat mats 2.30pm
Box Office                             0844 871 3019 *subject to booking fee       
Ticket prices                        £13.50 – £29.50
Website                                www.atgtickets.com/manchester