Calendar Girls is a stage play based on the film of the same name.
After a successful tryout at the Chichester Festival Theatre and a lengthy national tour,[1] a stage adaptation of the film started previewing in April 2009 at the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End. The cast included Lynda Bellingham, Patricia Hodge, Siân Phillips, Brigit Forsyth, Elaine C. Smith, Julia Hills and Gaynor Faye.
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] Calendar Girls has had several different casts to keep the show fresh and to also allow producers to bring in well known actresses into the play who do not want to commit to long runs.
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]
UK cast [edit]
Original touring and West End cast [edit]
- 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 [edit]
- 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 [edit]
- 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 cast, January – May 2010 [edit]
- Lynda Bellingham as Chris
- Jan Harvey as Annie
- Judith Barker as Jessie
- Gemma Atkinson as Celia
- Richenda Carey as Marie
- Hannah Waterman as Ruth
- Letitia Dean as Cora
- Su Douglas as Lady Cravenshire
- Tracey Briggs as Brenda Hulse
- Kathryn Rooney as Elaine
- Michael Peluso as Lawrence/Liam
- John Labanowksi as Rod
- Colin Tarrant as John
Touring cast, May – July 2010 [edit]
- Gemma Craven as Chris
- Sue Holderness as Annie
- Anne Charleston as Jessie
- Charlie Dimmock as Celia
- Elizabeth Bennett as Marie
- Hannah Waterman as Ruth
- Letitia Dean as Cora
- Su Douglas as Lady Cravenshire
- Tracey Briggs as Brenda Hulse
- Miklya Dodd as Elaine
- Dean Gaffney as Lawrence/Liam
- John Labanowski as Rod
- Colin Tarrant as John
Touring cast, July – October 2010 [edit]
- Elaine C. Smith as Chris
- Julia Hills as Annie
- Jean Boht as Jessie (withdrew during tour, replaced by Anne Charleston)
- Jennifer Ellison as Celia
- Ruth Madoc as Marie
- Rachel Lumberg as Ruth
- Denise Black as Cora
- Margaret John as Lady Cravenshire (first two venues of tour)
- Susan Bovell as Lady Cravenshire (remainder of tour)
- Susan Bovell as Brenda Hulse
- Miklya Dodd as Elaine
- Bruno Langley as Lawrence/Liam
- Bruce McGregor as Rod
- Joe McGann as John
Touring cast, October – December 2010 [edit]
- Lynda Bellingham as Chris
- Jan Harvey as Annie
- June Watson as Jessie
- Brenda Gilhooly as Celia (withdrew during tour, replaced by Kathryn Rooney)
- Ruth Madoc as Marie
- Debbie Chazen as Ruth
- Michelle Collins as Cora (Bernie Nolan withdrew before opening due to ill health)
- Susan Bovell as Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse
- Mikyla Dodd as Elaine
- Michael Peluso as Lawrence/Liam
- John Labanowksi as Rod
- Colin Tarrant as John
Touring cast, January – April 2011 [edit]
- Lynda Bellingham as Chris
- Trudie Goodwin as Annie
- Gwen Taylor as Jessie
- Jennifer Ellison as Celia
- Ruth Madoc as Marie
- Lisa Riley as Ruth
- Bernie Nolan as Cora
- Diana Moran as Lady Cravenshire
- Jane Lambert as Brenda Hulse
- Danielle Lineker as Elaine
- Bruno Langley as Lawrence/Liam
- John Labanowski as Rod
- Joe McGann as John
Touring cast, April – August 2011 [edit]
- Lesley Joseph as Chris
- Sue Holderness as Annie
- Helen Fraser as Jessie
- Kathryn Rooney as Celia
- Ruth Madoc as Marie
- Kacey Ainsworth as Ruth
- Deena Payne as Cora
- Susan Bovell as Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse
- Camilla Dallerup as Elaine
- Kevin Sacre as Lawrence/Liam
- Robert Gill as Rod
- Colin Tarrant as John
Touring cast, August – December 2011 [edit]
- Lynda Bellingham as Chris
- Jan Harvey as Annie
- June Watson as Jessie
- Rula Lenska as Celia
- Ruth Madoc as Marie
- Debbie Chazen as Ruth
- Jennifer Ellison as Cora
- Jane Lambert as Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse
- Camilla Dallerup as Elaine
- Bruno Langley as Lawrence/Liam
- John Labanowski as Rod
- Joe McGann as John
Touring cast, January – May 2012 [edit]
- Lynda Bellingham as Chris
- Jan Harvey as Annie
- June Watson as Jessie
- Sue Holderness as Celia
- Ruth Madoc as Marie
- Lisa Riley as Ruth
- Deena Payne as Cora
- Jane Lambert as Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse
- Camilla Dallerup as Elaine
- Kevin Sacre as Lawrence/Liam
- John Labanowski as Rod
- Joe McGann as John
Touring cast, September – December 2012 [edit]
- Lesley Joseph as Chris
- Sue Holderness as Annie
- Helen Fraser as Jessie
- Kathryn Rooney as Celia
- Ruth Madoc as Marie
- Kacey Ainsworth as Ruth
- Deena Payne as Cora
- Susan Bovell as Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse
- Camilla Dallerup as Elaine
- Kevin Sacre as Lawrence/Liam
- Robert Gill as Rod
- Bruce McGregor as John
Bermuda production [edit]
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.[8]
References [edit]
- ^ "Listing and review of Calendar Girls". The Stage Media Company website. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
- ^ Rachel Porter (14 August 2008). "As Calendar Girls is turned into a play, the stars reveal: 'Why we're proud to parade our wobbly bits'". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
- ^ Michael Billington (26 April 2009). "Theater review: Calendar Girls". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
- ^ Noël Coward Theatre Website
- ^ Official Calendar Girls Website
- ^ Mirvish Productions website accessed 2010-02-22
- ^ Manitoba Theatre Centre website
- ^ "Bermuda Sun review - BMDS production of Calendar Girls".
A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia.
