King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Performance reviewed: Tuesday 30 August
Until: Saturday 3 September
Rating: * * * * *
The stage adaptation of Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls, based on the real-life story of the Yorkshire Women’s Institute ladies who made a charity calendar, is at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow for its final tour.
It doesn’t seem like an uplifting story – Annie’s (Jan Harvey) husband John (Joe McGann) is diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and quickly passes away. The WI group Annie is a member of decide to raise funds in John’s name for the hospital ward in which he was treated.
The idea of a traditional WI calendar is cast to one side and the girls decide to bare all (but tastefully) in their alternative fundraising calendar.
Calendar Girls, maybe somewhat surprisingly, is ‘laugh-out-loud’, ‘wipe-tears-from-your-eyes’ and, in the case of the woman behind me, ‘develop-a- cough-from-laughing-so-hard’ funny.
Directed by Jack Ryder (who was watching the show on opening night) and with a fantastic main cast of Jennifer Ellison, Lynda Bellingham, Jan Harvey, June Watson, Rula Lenska, Debbie Chazen and Ruth Madoc, the stage show documents a friendship rocked by bereavement, strengthened by a common goal, almost destroyed by success and regained.
There are many touching moments amongst the hilarity and it really is a true story of ‘girl power’.
The previous tour sold out in Glasgow before the opening night and it is clear why! Make sure you don’t miss out this time.
For tickets or further information, visit: Calendar Girls Tickets
