Calendar Girls UK Tour

Front LtoR Tim Firth, Gary Barlow Back LtoR Rebecca Storm, Fern Britton, Sara Crowe, Denise Welch, Ruth Madoc, Lorraine Bruce, Anna Jane Casey Photo: John Swanell

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 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 Sign up to our mailing list for more tour information as it comes to hand

CALENDAR GIRLS MUSICAL 2019 UK TOUR DATES

Sarah Jane Buckley, Lisa Maxwell, Rebecca Storm, Ruth Madoc, Judy Holt, Sue Daveney and Julia Hills. Photo: John Swannell 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