The Band announces cast as box office tops 10 million

Full casting announced for The Band Uk Tour

The full cast for David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Take That’s UK Tour of Tim Firth’s new musical, The Band, featuring the music of Take That.has been announced as the tour of the new musical is now topped a record-breaking ten million pounds. Joining the previously announced AJ Bentley, Nick Carsberg, Curtis T Johns, Yazdan Qafouri and Sario Solomon, collectively known as 5 to 5, winners of BBC’s Let It Shine, who will play The Band, Rachel Lumberg as Rachel and Faye Christall as Young Rachel, will be Emily Joyce as Heather, Alison Fitzjohn as Claire, Jayne McKenna as Zoe, Katy Clayton as Young Heather, Sarah Kate Howarth as Young Claire, Lauren Jacobs as Young Zoe, Rachelle Diedericks as Debbie,Martin Miller as Jeff and Andy Williams as Dave. The Band is a new musical about what it’s like to grow up with a boyband.  For five 16 year-old friends in 1992, ‘the band’ is … Read more

The Girls Announces West End Closing Date and UK Tour

Calendar Girls The Musical

  Dafydd Rogers and David Pugh, producers of Tim Firth and Gary Barlow’s musical comedy The Girls, have announced that the show will play its final London performance at the Phoenix Theatre on Saturday 15 July 2017. The critically acclaimed award-winning production will then commence a two-year UK Tour on 15 August 2018 at the Leeds Grand Theatre visiting 42 theatres across the UK. To be kept informed of details of The Girls UK Tour JOIN OUR MAILING LIST. The Girls 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, … Read more

Our House UK Tour

Our House, The Madness musical will undertake a UK Tour from August 2017 in a new production directed by Immersion Theatre’s James Tobias and choreographed by the resident choreographer of Matilda The Musical, Fabian Aloise. On the night of his 16th birthday, Joe Casey takes the girl of his dreams, Sarah, out on their first date. In an effort to impress her with bravado, Joe breaks into a building site overlooking his home on Casey Street. When the police turn up, a split-second decision forces him to choose between himself and his heart as the story splits in two: one which sees Joe stay to face the music, and the other which sees him flee and leave Sarah to run from the police. As two very different paths unfold before him, the consequences of that choice will change his life forever. Deena Payne, best known for her role as Viv … Read more

The Band – The New Musical Explained

The Band, Gary Barlow's new musical explained

We thought it might be a good idea to take a look at new musical The Band, explaining what is actually happening rather than rumour. Now that the reality talent show Let It Shine is over this is what is known about The Band. So here’s what we now know:- Who has written The Band? The Band is a new musical by Tim Firth with the music of Take That. Tim Firth co-wrote the original screenplay for Calendar Girls and collaborated with Gary Barlow on the musical The Girls which is now running in the West End. Read our review. What is The Band About? The Band will be about five 16-year-old girls. For these girls Take That has provided the soundtrack to heir lives. So who will star in The Band? It has become clear that the casting of these girls has already been done and the parts will … Read more

REVIEW: The Girls, Phoenix Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭

Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's The Girls

I left the theatre teared up with an almighty lump in my throat and the emotion of the show is still with me twenty fours later. The Girls is a superb night in the theatre. It’s a case study in how to tell a story with sincerity, humour and buckets of love. Don’t delay, go and see it for yourself!

PHOTOS: Gala Night For The Girls

Book now for The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre

Last night the great and the good gathered for the Bloodwise Gala Night of The Girls – a new musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth which opens in the West End tonight Tuesday 21 February 2017. Celebrity guests, who were in the presence of HRH The Duke of Kent and HRH The Countess of Wessex, included Graham Norton, Mel Giedroyc, Mark Owen, Michael Ball, and Angus Deayton. At the curtain all, the cast were joined on stage by writers Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, producers David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Bob Wankel of The Shubert Organization, and the original Calendar Girls. The ‘Girls’ are played by Debbie Chazen, Sophie-Louise Dann, Michele Dotrice, Claire Machin, Claire Moore and Joanna Riding. The Girls is directed by Tim Firth. BOOK NOW FOR THE GIRLS AT THE PHOENIX THEATRE

FIRST LOOK: The Girls In Rehearsals

Book now for The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre

We are pleased to bring you this first look at rehearsals for The Girls, a new musical based on Calendar Girls by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth by Matt Crockett. The Girls stars Debbie Chazen (Topsy-Turvy, Smoking Room, Psychoville), Sophie-Louise Dann (Bend It Like Beckham, Made in Dagenham, Lend me a Tenor in the West End), Michele Dotrice (Nell Gwynn, The Importance of Being Earnest and When We Are Married in the West End and BBC1’s Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em), Claire Machin (My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Betty Blue Eyes and Memphis), Claire Moore (Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and London Road) and Olivier Award-winner Joanna Riding (Carousel, My Fair Lady). Directed by Tim Firth, The Girls has musical staging by Lizzi Gee, comedy staging by Jos Houben, design by Robert Jones, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster … Read more

New British Musical The Girls To Open in January 2017

Producers have announced that Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s new British Musical The Girls will begin performances at London’s Phoenix Theatre on 28 January 2017. Tickets are now on sale. The musical is based on the true story, the film and the award-winning play by Tim Firth Calendar Girls. The West End premiere follows sold-out runs at the Grand Theatre Leeds and the Lowry Salford late 2015/early 2016. See the great video with Gary and Tim below. Unlike most other West End musicals, Producers have made a commitment to there being no Premium Rated seats, no booking fees and reduced priced previews. The ‘Girls’ will be played by Debbie Chazen (Topsy Turvy, Psychoville) as Ruth, Sophie-Louise Dann (Bend It Like Beckham, Made In Dagenham) as Celia, Michele Dotrice (Some Mother’s Do Ave Em) as Jessie, Claire Machin (Mary Poppins, Titanic, Mary Poppins) as Cora, Claire Moore (Miss Saigon, The Phantom … Read more