Category Archives: Tour news

Calendar Girls announces Casting for UK Tour

Calendar

 

David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers, the producers of Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s musical comedy, CALENDAR GIRLS The Musical, based on the true story, the film and the award-winning play by Tim Firth, Calendar Girls, are delighted to announce that the production will return home to Yorkshire and open at the Leeds Grand Theatre on 16 August 2018 at the start of a new UK & Ireland Tour.  The first 30 weeks are listed below, with further dates to be added.

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.

The critically acclaimed and award-winning production played a six-month London season at the Phoenix Theatre last year, and, before that, this musical comedy played sold-out seasons in Leeds and Manchester.

Tim Firth said,

“To be given a chance to revisit CALENDAR GIRLS The Musical is a unique opportunity.  Gary [Barlow] and I have been working away and, as the great Stephen Sondheim said, ‘MUSICAL COMEDIES 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.”

 

Gary Barlow and Tim Firth grew up in the same village in the North of England and have been friends for 25 years.  With Take That, Gary has written and co-written 14 number one singles, has sold over 50 million records worldwide and is a six times Ivor Novello Award winner.  Tim has won the Olivier Award and UK Theatre Award for Best New Musical, and the British Comedy Awards Best Comedy Film for Calendar Girls.
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.
Bloodwise, the UK’s specialist blood cancer charity, will continue to receive monies from this production.
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.

 

https://youtu.be/-86Ix4rRb48

 

Photography by John Swannell

 

For full tour details, click on the image below

Calendar

 

RELATED STORIES

The Girls – Production Photographs

The Girls – Gala Night Photographs

 

 

Fat Friends – Production Images

Fat

 

Following the first performance of Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends the Musical this week, the first production images have been released. Starring Freddie Flintoff, Sam Bailey, Jodie Prenger, Natasha Hamilton, Natalie Anderson and Kevin Kennedy, Fat Friends the Musical is showing in Leeds, home of the original TV series, until 2nd December ahead of extensive UK tour.

The award-winning TV drama has been adapted for the stage by its creator and one of the UK’s most prolific writers, Kay Mellor. With original music and songs composed by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, Fat Friends – The Musical opened at Leeds Grand Theatre on 7th November. Freddie Flintoff will appear in Leeds, Southampton, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford and Blackpool with WhatsOnStage Award nominee Joel Montague completing the remaining tour dates.

 

Photography by Helen Maybanks

 

Full dates and tickets are available at

 

www.FatFriendsTheMusical.com

 

Click here to see some of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com