Review by Paul Towers, 14/6/2022
Calendar Girls by Gary Barlow & Tim Firth
Directed by Kieran Whelan-Newby
A KW Productions presentation
At The Little Theatre until Saturday 18th June 2022
“a wonderful mixture of pathos and comedy”
I first saw Calendar Girls back in 2018 when it toured
to DeMontfort Hall. I was impressed with the production but I do feel that
Kieran Whelan-Newby’s direction has taken it to a new level, especially the
comedy.
The show was always a wonderful mixture of pathos and comedy but I don’t
remember so many laugh-out-loud moments in 2018. The entire cast have managed
to find both physical and textual comedy absent previously. Two characters’
drunken performances stand out. James King’s schoolboy Danny was a beautifully
timed stumbling almost prat-fall alcohol fuelled teenage embarrassment while
Tracey Holderness’ uptight Ruth singing the praises of her vodka bottle brought
to mind Mrs Overall in all her glory.
The entire cast were all superb and in fine voice, each being fully rounded characters
on the page.
The set, a Yorkshire hillside, is a work of art and, with the expert lighting design by Andy & Alex Crooks, it serves for the various locations. A live band of five led by musical director Felix Surbe fills the auditorium and allows the various singers to give full voice to their emotional numbers.
I have been a fan of Kieran and his production company since seeing his A Slice of Saturday Night back in 2014. Each subsequent production has got bigger and more professional. Calendar Girls does not buck the trend.
If you want a fun, uplifting night out at the theatre you won’t go wrong with this show.
Calendar Girls is on until Saturday 18th
June and is a LDS fundraiser
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