Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle
Music and Lyrics by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth
Calendar Girls The Musical somehow still feels like a breath of fresh air in 2024, over twenty years since the real-life women of the Women’s Institute posed for their calendar in aid of charity. The Bill Kenwright LTD production of the famous tale showcases the difficult realities of life through the lens of everyday, middle-aged women, whose historical lot is to be overlooked and underwritten.
Told on the big screen in 2003, the history is well-known, but feels complete now in musical form. Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle and written by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, Calendar Girls The Musical sees this story perfected: a poignant portrayal of friendship, grief and hope. The medium of musical theatre allows each woman the space to express her emotions, too often felt silently or brushed over, through song. The struggles being faced here are honest and raw – to see this laid bare on stage by such incredible actors feels like an honour.
Leading this production are Samantha Seager and Laurie Brett as life-long best friends, Chris and Annie, alongside Maureen Nolan, Lyn Paul, Liz Carney, Helen Pearson and Honeysuckle Weeks as other members of the fictional Knapeley branch of the WI. Our cast despair at the organisation’s annual calendar, which boils down to plum jam, Victoria sponges and teapots; as one character notes, “I see more of the institute than I do of the women.” When Annie’s much-loved husband, John, played endearingly by Colin R Campbell, dies of cancer, Chris suggests that the women create an alternative WI calendar, posing nude with the aforementioned cakes and crockery.
In the first act, we meet Annie and John in the early stages of John’s cancer, when John is still the life and soul of the various social events that mark the WI’s annual calendar. Barlow and Firth’s agonisingly relatable lyrics guide us alongside Laurie Brett’s Annie as she struggles to come to terms with their new reality, as John’s health deteriorates. Brett is an acting powerhouse – anyone who has been in a similar position will see themselves in her convincing portrait of grief, not just for the loss of the person but the loss of their life together. The direction of the first half, which sees Annie in scenes of her normal life at the community hall with the WI, interspersed with songs like ‘Scarborough’ sung by Brett alone on a dark stage, does a pitch-perfect job of demonstrating how grief permeates everyday life.
Though a necessary and poignant thread throughout, grief is only one facet of life displayed on this stage. Samantha Seager is extraordinary as Chris, whose rebellious nature sets her at odds with the WI president, Marie (Liz Carney), from the off. Seager is a bundle of energy, balancing her often comedic role with nuance to create a believable and endearing persona. Seager also brings their West-End-deserving voice, with by far the strongest vocal performance of the group. Brett and Seager play off each other brilliantly, painting an honest picture of friendship – a highlight is an argument between the two women; frustrated, worried and grieving, but willing to listen and communicate.
Maureen Nolan’s performance as Ruth epitomises why this production works so well. For much of the show, we see Ruth as the other people in her life would; a warm, quiet, put-together woman who enjoys baking and whose husband is cheating on her. A powerful solo from Nolan gives us a chance to see behind our surface-level understanding of Ruth to the real person underneath and reminds us that everyone we come into contact with is living a whole 3D life of their own.
At the heart of this show, and the basis of the second act, is the theme of female empowerment, as we see each character strip off for the calendar. Huge respect to the cast for bearing it all every night – although they couldn’t hope for a more supportive audience, full of their peers, women young and old, cheering them on. It is a real testament to the heart of Brett’s performance, and the poignancy of Barlow and Firth’s writing, that Annie’s nude scene has members of the audience crying and cheering at the same time. Up there with the best, this show will stay with you long after you leave the theatre: do not miss the chance to see this phenomenal cast at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow, until the 24th of February.
Review by Annie Aslett
Annie is a life-long lover of musical theatre, whose childhood performances included a rousing production of Snow White in The Hall and a heartfelt rendition of Go, Go, Go Joseph in The Living Room. While confined to the audiences these days, she regularly catches the latest shows and musicals in London’s West End and is excited to experience the musical delights of the Fringe, as well as any comedy that she can get her hands on. School’s out and she’s raring to review.
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