Calendar Girls The Musical At Winter Gardens Blackpool Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Cath Joyce
Back in 1999 when a group of middle aged women from a Women’s Institute in Yorkshire decided to make a calendar to raise money for charity, nobody could ever have foreseen the amount of publicity it would generate. Wanting to replace the worn out sofa in the hospital where Annie’s husband John had been treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma her best friend Chris came up with the crazy idea of making a nude calendar in order to raise the money. Understandably she was met with apprehension from the rest of the group but after plenty of persuasion the others eventually came on board! The resulting calendar featured the naked ladies engaged in traditional WI activities like baking, knitting and jam making and when it went on sale they quickly hit the headlines, not only raising the profile of the WI but raising a fantastic amount of money for Leukaemia Research. A film was made about them in 2003 and the heart-warming story was then adapted for the stage by Gary Barlow (of Take That fame) and Tim Firth. The award winning musical, which has been delighting audiences since 2015, has undergone a revamp which includes new music and we were very excited to attend the opening night at Blackpool Opera House last night.
The star-studded cast includes Laurie Brett from Eastenders playing the lead role of Annie. Former Coronation Street star Samantha Seager was perfectly cast as the outgoing Chris, Helen Pearson (Hollyoaks) as former air hostess Celia, Honeysuckle Weeks as Cora and Liz Carney stars as WI branch president Marie. Blackpool girl Maureen Nolan stars as the alcoholic Ruth and Jayne Ashley stepped into the role of Jessie (normally played by Lyn Paul).
The musical pretty much follows the original storyline, there’s a few name and place changes and this version of the musical features fewer cast members than the original production.
The set is a lovely depiction of a well kept, traditional village hall with the rolling hills of the Dales in the background. Most of the story unfolds there but when the story moves away from the village, to the hospital or WI conference, very little is changed, with just a few signs hanging from the roof to show that we have moved.
The show started in a lively enough manner, the first song using the WI anthem “Jerusalem” but after that never really got going. The second half was much better as we learnt more about the characters but we both felt that it was lacking a real stand out song – the type that sticks in your head all night.
Whilst starting with the death of a much loved man and dealing with a number of sensitive subjects the musical is actually very funny, the Yorkshire humour spills through the show and there’s plenty to laugh about. The climax of the story is obviously the photo shoot itself and this was handled very well with the ladies’ modesty successfully preserved behind an array of suitable props!
Whilst I don’t think this version has the vitality of the original musical it’s still a really good show and with ticket sales supporting Blood Cancer UK you are not only having a great night out but helping this worthwhile charity too.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £23.75
Calendar Girls The Musical is at Blackpool Opera House until 27th January 2024.
For more information or to book tickets visit:
https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/events/calendar-girls
https://store.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/webshop/webticket/eventlist?production=294