Review: Calendar Girls - The Musical, by Newark Operatic Society at Robin Hood Theatre in Averham
Review by Julie Addison
‘Calendar Girls’ is the heart-warming musical written by Tim Firth, with lyrics by ‘Take That’ star Gary Barlow, which is itself based on the film featuring Celia Imrie, Helen Mirren and Julie Walters based on the real-life story of six inspiring Yorkshire women who decide to pose naked in a very unconventional calendar.
Newark Amateur Operatic Society, directed by Mike Follen and musical director Lindsay Follen (last seen in Shrek the Musical) and their talented cast, have produced an uplifting story of courage, resilience and friendship, set against an authentic Yorkshire backdrop of dry-stone walls, country fairs and brass bands.
The story opens with a lively musical montage in the fictional Yorkshire village of Knapely, where we get a glimpse of the daily lives of its habitants.
Feisty former-Miss Yorkshire Chris (Kerri McGarrigle) and her husband Rod (Cavan McLaughlin) who run the local florists, and their son Danny (Rob Pringle), Chris’ best friend from schooldays, Annie (Roseann Edis) and husband John (James Fry) affectionately known as Clarkey, rebellious single mum Cora (Aston Fisher) the purple haired single mum to Tommo (Ollie Kirkwood) and posh former Air Hostess Celia (Judi O’Leary) and her husband Denis (Mike Follen) who are members of the local golf club.
All these ladies have something in common – they are members of the oldest society and staple of village life - the Women’s Institute. With a clever use of half set, we are at an institute meeting, featuring noticeboards and a piano, hosted by the formidable stickler for tradition and chairperson, Marie (Rachel Mitchell).
More ladies are introduced: retired schoolteacher Jessie (Sarah Leaton), and anxious to impress Ruth (Sarah Taylor in her first NAOS role), and the tea ladies, the ever-attentive Miss Wilsons (Dawn Stubbs and Keira Dormer-Hazell). The WI meetings are filled with endless discussions about knitting, jam making, organising calendars (featuring traditional views of local churchyards), and making plans for the upcoming village Harvest Festival. Also listening to boring talks provided by a guest speaker Brenda Hulse (Jenny Roe in her debut dual role in the Society).
At the schoolyard, we see Cora’s cheeky son Tommo and Chris’ son Danny, who hopes to impress his parents by becoming Head Boy, and rebellious new girl Jenny (Jade Mulligan) who is on constant litter picking duty for bringing alcohol into school.
Annie and her husband John have a wonderful relationship, but we get our first hint from Annie that something is seriously wrong with John, who, following blood tests is subsequently diagnosed with cancer.
I loved the portrayal of John’s illness as he gradually succumbed to the disease firstly removing his flat cap to reveal a shaved head and eventually ending up in a wheelchair pushed by his carer and amateur photographer Lawrence (Tim McManus).
While attending their many hospital appointments, Annie must endure the uncomfortable sofa in the visitor’s lounge, further adding to her anguish and misery. She sings a poignant song imagining her life without her soulmate adding ruefully “not yet”.
Time is shown moving on with the clever use of props and costumes such as deely bobbers, Christmas jumpers and Cora (in Victoria Wood style), playing piano while singing some alternative lyrics to the Christmas carols, much to Ruth’s horror. Then another scene change to the Spring Fete with floral dresses, straw hats, cake competitions and a tug of war (including John seated in his wheelchair).
Annie’s fury at John’s denial of his illness understandably turns to bitterness as she rails angrily against the injustice of cancer. Her beloved Clarkey slowly slips away, fading before our eyes and the cast cover Annie with a black shawl to become the widow at the funeral. The ghost of John talks about the positivity of sunflowers “following the sun”, a plant he had always admired - despite not being indigenous to Yorkshire.
Following a visit to the hospital visitors lounge to deliver some of John’s gardening books, Annie and Chris decide to try and raise funds for the lounge’s decrepit sofa so that future relatives could sit in comfort during their darkest moments.
Chris has seen a raunchy girls calendar at the florist shop and hits on an idea for the WI ladies to produce their own version to raise funds.
Obviously, the idea is not met with approval, with talks of cellulite, stretch marks and the reputation of the society at stake. Chris embarrasses her son when he catches her whipping off her bra on the public footpath prompting him to go off the rails, and it is revealed that Jenny is in fact Marie’s daughter with a deep resentment for everything her mother stands for and represents.
Chris and Annie engage the help of photographer and John’s former carer, Lawrence, who presents some initial sketches featuring the ladies in traditional WI poses. The ladies, however, need to bare their souls before baring their bodies. They all share their darkest secrets that have been holding them back in life, including a rueful song from Jessie about her being suddenly treated like a pensioner. I loved the witty way Cora made fun about rumours of Celia’s enhancements in the breast department saying she had an “upgrade in her baggage allowance” and Celia sings a hilarious song showing she has no regrets about her decision to have a “little work done”. Eventually, even Jessie agrees to do the calendar providing there are no “front bottoms”. Only Ruth has not been convinced - but she has a secret of her own.
Jessie and Celia also must face their husband’s understandable reluctance to have their wives flaunting their private areas in public. In a hilarious montage, the men ruefully express their personal feelings about the calendar. I especially liked Jessie’s husband Colin’s (Ian Stewart) comments about their bedtime activities and Denis’ (Mike Follen) comments about his wife’s former life as a glamorous air hostess.
A crisis of conscience over fears that Chris’ son is losing respect for her causes a rift between old friends Chris and Annie, as Chris gets cold feet about creating the calendar only to be reminded by Rod that she was the same madcap crazy girl who brought Annie and John together in the first place.
At the WI National Conference, Annie makes an impassioned plea asking permission to produce the calendar. Chris suddenly turns up, and to Annie’s delight says they are doing it anyway. Jenny, who has been dragged along by mum Marie, decides to take action by assisting the ladies in creating the calendar.
The rest of the show features the incredible courage of these wonderful ladies as they pose for monthly themed pictures for the calendar, applauded and cheered all the way by a very appreciative audience.
Even the tea ladies, the prim and proper Wilson sisters, have a ‘cheeky’ photoshoot. In a hilarious moment, Chris notes that Celia’s enlarged bosoms would require “considerably bigger buns” to maintain her modesty, and the now super-confident Jessie confesses that she was Lawrence’s schoolteacher. Even Ruth, who is dosed up on her special “Russian friend” (vodka) takes her place as Miss July - no, Miss November - and admits she has finally kicked out her adulterous husband.
The women are delighted to realise that the proceeds from calendar sales have provided funds for, not just a replacement sofa (which now sports a velour sunflower cover) but a whole wing in Skipton hospital in John’s memory.
The whole cast worked together to bring this heart-warming story to life, forming deep bonds of friendship that were obvious to see. All the main six ladies were wonderful in their depictions of characters based on these real life, everyday Yorkshire women with fabulous performances from all.
I loved the relationships between the women and the obvious trust built between them. Kerri McGarrigle played Chris like a force of nature with a powerful voice that soared around the theatre reflecting her larger-than-life personality. Her upbeat optimism showed through especially in her relationship with
Roseann Edis playing Annie, her more down-to-earth friend who had to deal with the unthinkable tragedy of losing her beloved husband.
Both women created believable characters which had us crying and laughing out loud. Roseann played Annie with a stoic determination and sweet nature which shone through, so we felt every piece of her pain and grief. The poignant scene where she planted John’s beloved sunflowers was beautifully done, her soft but steady vocals highlighting the inner strength of her personality.
Aston Fisher as Cora was wonderful as the purple haired, piano playing, single mum whose wacky costumes reflected her equally wacky personality, determined to break the mould of a conventional vicar’s daughter. Her relationship with her cheeky son Tommo was lovely, and her quirky alternative Christmas lyrics were performed very well.
Sarah Leaton as Jessie was the dark horse of the group. Having previously played the vampish Miss Scarlet in the society’s production of ‘Clue the Musical’, it was a shock to see her as the frumpy retired schoolteacher in baggy jogging bottoms shapeless tops and glasses on a chain!
She played the part very well and her homage to creeping old age was very well done and a definite highlight for all the ladies of a certain age in the audience. Her body language was spot on as she portrayed a woman many times her age, and she provided one of the funniest lines of the show and a shocking revelation!
Judi O’Leary playing classy Celia swearing while playing golf was very funny, as of course was her song idolising her not so hidden assets. Sarah Taylor as the under-confident, over-compensating, over-achiever Ruth was another well-observed character, and I loved her steady crumbling as she finally came to her senses about her philandering husband and her pure joy at having posed nude. Her homage to vodka as she mixed her next batch of cakes was very funny.
Of course, a show like this needs everybody’s contribution and there was not a weak link in the performances on stage. I loved Ollie Kirkwood, Jade Mulligan and Rob Pringle as the school kids, with Danny going spectacularly off the rails his tie askew and shirt untucked drunk on sambuca, and cocky Tommo being “groomed” by older woman Celia ruefully admitting he was a virgin. Jade was excellent as the sulky teen who was bullied by her bitter divorced mother, who in an act of defiance, went on to help the women pose for the photos.
Rachel Mitchell as the doughty matriarch Marie was another good character, completely at odds with the women, and even her own daughter as she desperately tried to maintain the status quo, eventually attacking Chris for her flighty attitude towards her beloved society. Her relationship with her daughter Jenny was good.
The husbands (Mike Follen, Cavan McLaughlin and Ian Stewart) played pivotal parts in the women’s story and performed well, especially Cavan as Rod, Chris’ supportive husband who had a deep love for his crazy wife and her madcap ideas. Special mention to James Fry, who played the part of John Clarke with such compassion and gentleness that he was a joy to watch. His positive attitude shining through, despite his diagnosis, and his sweet relationship with Annie made his eventual death even more heart-breaking.
I am sure Director Mike Follen has had many wonderful moments directing this team of inspiring women (and taking part himself), the result being an uplifting pacy piece of theatre that had the sold-out house audience on its feet in appreciation. Musical Director Lindsay Follen, kept her small band of musicians hidden behind the set, but their impact was there for all to hear in their delivery of Mr Barlow’s catchy score and the excellent harmonies from the cast.
Finally, well done to everyone behind the stage, including stage crew, prop creators, stage design, lighting and sound who all contributed to a seamless show.
All proceeds from the programme and limited edition calendar (created by Ollie Kirkwood) are being donated to the Brain Tumour Charity, the world’s leading charity dedicated to how brain tumours are diagnosed, cared for and treated. With the addition of collection buckets and a raffle, the total raised by the production (to date) is £1,635.
Further donations can be given through www.justgiving.com/page/naos