Calendar Girls (play)

Calendar Girls is a stage play based on the film of the same name.

After a successful try-out at the Chichester Festival Theatre in September 2008 and a lengthy national tour,^[1] a stage adaptation of the film started previewing on 4 April 2009 at the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End, opening on 20 April. The original cast included Lynda Bellingham, Patricia Hodge, Siân Phillips, Gaynor Faye, Brigit Forsyth, Julia Hills and Elaine C. Smith.

It was adapted by Tim Firth and directed by Hamish McColl.^[2] While the play has been a financial success (it took in over £1.7 million in advance ticket sales), the critical reception has been mixed.^[3]

The play closed at the Noël Coward Theatre in London on 9 January 2010^[4] before embarking on a second national tour which began on 27 January 2010.^[5] The show has had several different casts to keep it fresh and to also allow producers to bring well known actresses into the play who do not want to commit to long runs. The second national tour finished in December 2012.

Toronto's Mirvish Productions announced in February 2010 that a Canadian production of the play would open in Toronto in April 2011,^[6] with the North American premiere actually taking place at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg in March 2011.^[7] In Australia - Jally Entertainment will be touring throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia in 45 venues,during 2014.

In September 2016, Tim Firth and Gary Barlow announced The Girls, a new musical based on both the play and the film, to open at the Phoenix Theatre in January 2017.^[8]

UK cast

West End

Original touring and West End cast

• Lynda Bellingham as Chris
• Patricia Hodge as Annie
• Sian Phillips as Jessie
• Gaynor Faye as Celia
• Brigit Forsyth as Marie
• Julia Hills as Ruth
• Elaine C. Smith as Cora
• Joan Blackham as Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse
• Abby Francis as Elaine
• Carl Prekopp as Lawrence/Liam
• Gerard McDermott as Rod
• Gary Lilburn as John

Second West End cast, July – October 2009

• Anita Dobson as Chris
• Jill Baker as Annie
• June Brown as Jessie
• Jerry Hall as Celia
• Richenda Carey as Marie
• Sara Crowe as Ruth
• Jill Halfpenny as Cora
• Delia Lindsay as Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse
• Gemma Atkinson as Elaine
• Jack Ryder as Lawrence/Liam
• Neil McCaul as Rod
• Will Knightley as John

Third West End cast, November 2009 – January 2010

• Arabella Weir as Chris
• Janie Dee as Annie
• Rosalind Knight as Jessie
• Kelly Brook as Celia
• Helen Lederer as Marie
• Debbie Chazen as Ruth (withdrew during run, replaced by Julia Hills)
• Julie Goodyear as Cora (withdrew during run, replaced by Hannah Waterman)
• Jan Leeming as Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse
• Kathryn Rooney as Elaine
• Rob James-Collier as Lawrence/Liam (withdrew before opening, replaced by Carl Prekopp)
• Richard Attlee as Rod
• Bill Champion as John

Touring

Amateur Productions

The amateur rights have been released from 1 September 2012 for 18 months only. By August 2012, 520 applications had been received and 322 licences granted.^[9]

Bermuda

On April 11, 2013, The Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society opened their amateur production of "Calendar Girls" at the Earl Cameron Theater in Hamilton, Bermuda. In addition to the stage play, the group also produced a calendar featuring the cast, producer and director in similar poses. Thanks to the sponsorship of local businesses, all the calendar proceeds were donated to Bermuda charities.^[10]

Geneva, Switzerland

The Geneva English Drama Society (GEDS) produced "Calendar Girls" from 18 to 22 June, 2013 at the Théâtre Pitoëff in Geneva. A special charity performance attended by Angela Baker (Miss February in the original calendar) and sales of a calendar enabled a donation of CHF 6,000 to each of the Fondation Dr Henri Dubois-Ferrière Dinu Lipatti and the Fondation Artères, local charities targeting leukaemia and lymphoma.

References