Based on the true story, the film and the award-winning play by Tim Firth, the Calendar Girls UK Tour is currently playing theatres across the UK.
The new tour will star novelist and television presenter Fern Britton, returning to the stage for the first time in 30 years, as Marie, Lorraine Bruce (Kay Mellor’s The Syndicate and theatre credits include Piaf at The Donmar and Vernon God Little at the Young Vic) as Cora, Anna-Jane Casey (Billy Elliot on tour, Stepping Out in London’s West End, title role in Annie Get Your Gun at Sheffield Crucible) as Annie, Sara Crowe (West End roles include Bedroom Farce, The Real Inspector Hound & Black Comedy and Hay Fever) as Ruth, Ruth Madoc (Hi-De-Hi, Little Britain and Gypsy) as Jessie, Rebecca Storm (discovered by Willy Russell and cast as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, and her handprints are part of the Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre Walk of Fame) as Chris and Denise Welch (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Coronation Street and Waterloo Road) as Celia.
Tim Firth said, “To be given a chance to revisit Calendar Girls The Musical is a unique opportunity. Gary [Barlow] and I have been working away and, as the great Stephen Sondheim said, ‘Musical comedia aren’t written, they are rewritten”.
Gary Barlow added, “What a phenomenal new cast we have. Tim and I sat in – and indeed played – on the auditions and have been so lucky to have put together such talented ladies.”
Calendar Girls the musical is inspired by the true story of a group of ladies, who decide to appear nude for a Women’s Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands, and have to date raised almost £5million for Bloodwise. This musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary.
Calendar Girls The Musical is directed by Matt Ryan and designed by Robert Jones, with comedy staging by Jos Houben, movement by Lucy Hind and casting by Sarah Bird.
Read our review of the London Production of Calendar Girls
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CALENDAR GIRLS MUSICAL 2019 UK TOUR DATES
Casting for the Calendar Girls musical 2019 UK Tour cast has been announced. Sarah Jane Buckley (Blood Brothers and Kathy Barnes in Hollyoaks) as Annie, Sue Devaney (the soon to be seen new Russell T. Davies series Years and Years, Jane in Dinnerladies, Liz Harker in Casualty, Debbie Webster in Coronation Street and Rosie in the musical Mamma Mia!) as Cora, Julia Hills (Doctor Kemp in Broadchurch, Annabelle Shrivener in The Archers) as Ruth, Judy Holt (Cold Feet, Scott & Bailey) as Marie and Lisa Maxwell (panellist on Loose Women, Tracey Donovan in Hollyoaks, Samantha Nixon in The Bill and various roles in The Les Dennis Laughter Show and The Russ Abbot Show) as Celia, the new cast will make their debut at Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, on 22 April 2019.
Ruth Madoc and Rebecca Storm will continue to play Jessie and Chris respectively.
Karen Dunbar will return to play Cora when the production visits Glasgow’s King’s Theatre from 11-22 June.
Lesley Joseph will play Jessie from 23 April in Southend, until 10 August in Eastbourne when Ruth Madoc returns to the role.
Also in the cast are Phil Corbitt as John, Ian Mercer as Rod, Sebastian Aberneri as Colin, Alan Stocks as Denis, Pauline Daniels as Lady Cravenshire, Ellie Leah as Miss Wilson, Danny Howker as Danny, Isabel Caswell as Jenny and Tyler Dobbs as Tommo.
The Calendar Girls UK Tour has now concluded.
CALENDAR GIRLS UK TOUR PAST DATES
16 August – 1 September 2018
Leeds Grand Theatre
5 – 15 September 2018
The Marlowe, Canterbury
18 – 29 September 2018
Newcastle Theatre Royal
2 – 13 October 2018
Festival Theatre Edinburgh
16 – 20 October 2018
Leicester De Montfort Hall
23 – 27 October 2018
Venue Cymru, Llandudno
30 October – 10 November 2018
The Lowry, Salford
13 – 17 November 2018
Stoke Regent Theatre
20 – 24 November 2018
Hull New Theatre
27 Nov – 1 December 2018
Liverpool Empire
8 – 19 January 2019
Mayflower Theatre Southampton
22 Jan – 2 Feb 2019
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin
5 – 16 February 2019
Norwich Theatre Royal
19 Feb – 2 March 2019
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdee
5 – 16 March 2019
The Orchard Theatre, Dartford
19 – 23 March 2019
Sunderland Empire
26 – 30 March 2019
New Victoria Theatre, Woking
2 – 13 April 2019
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
16 – 20 April 2019
New Theatre, Oxford
23 – 27 April 2019
Cliffs Pavillion, Southend
30 April – 11 May 2019
Wales Millenium Centre
14 – 25 May 2019
Grand Opera House Belfas
28 May – 8 June 2019
Birmingham Hippodrome
11 – 22 June 2019
Glasgow King’s Theatre
25 June – 6 July 2019
Theatre Royal Nottingham
9 July – 20 July 2019
Bristol Hippodrome
23 July – 3 August 2019
Theatre Royal Plymouth
6 – 10 August 2019
Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
17 – 21 September 2019
Bournemouth Pavillion
24 – 28 September 2019
Wolverhampton Grand
1 – 5 October 2019
New Wimbledon Theatre
8 – 12 October 2019
Royal and Derngate Northampton
15 – 19 October 2019
Blackpool Opera House
22 – 26 October 2019
Ipswich Regent Theatre
29 October – November 2019
Chester Storyhouse
5 – 9 November 2019
Theatre Royal Bath
12 – 23 November 2019
Chichester Festival Theatre
