16 October 2018

Calendar Girls - The Musical


Review by: Paul Towers, 16 October 2018
Calendar Girls – The Musical by Gary Barlow & Tim Firth
Produced by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and The Schubert Organisation
DeMontfort Hall 16 – 20 October 2018

“alternately hilarious and poignant in a single breath.”

Back in 2003 Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi wrote a film about an enterprising Women’s Institute group in Yorkshire who decided to create a naked calendar to raise funds for a sofa to commemorate the husband of one of their number who had died of leukemia.
So successful were their efforts that it inspired a film which took off, touching hearts around the world. It was a story of how friends come  together in adversity, support each other and create something wonderful out of tragedy.
Childhood friends Tim Firth and Gary Barlow decided that the story and the film would make a good basis for a musical full of life affirming, empowering songs. And so Calendar Girls – The Musical was born and opened in Leeds in 2015. After a residency in London’s West End it has been recast and is out on tour.
Tim and Gary have fashioned a show that is alternately hilarious and poignant in a single breath. The laughs start from the moment the lights go up and continue in waves til the final curtain.
Barlow’s songs are a revelation. Dismissed by many as a fluffy pop song-smith his talents as a songwriter shine in this show as he both moves the story along and provides light relief in what could be, in all honesty, a depressing tale. While most of the songs wouldn’t stand alone as pop singles they are excellent at doing the job they are written for. Telling a story well and with humour.
The current cast is awash with familiar faces led by one Fern Britton with Ruth Madoc, Sara Crowe, Denise Welch and Ian Mercer to mention just the faces you will know from TV. While their familiarity helps sell tickets and certainly pleased the full audience tonight they are just the tip of the iceberg of talent in this production. There are lots of good comedy performances and several of the leading ladies get their own powerhouse songs to sing.
The set is very impressive and represents a Yorkshire hillside complete with grass and a farm gate. Clever lighting transforms the stage at various times and well balanced sound ensures we hear every word without being deafened.
Calendar Girls - The Musical is at DeMontfort Hall until Saturday 20th October. Limited seats are available at https://tinyurl.com/ycb9z4ar
Details of the continuing tour are at https://tinyurl.com/y9ns5bd2
First published on Western Gazette

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